Over the past couple of days, there have been a few suggestions in the Italian media that Roma could be interested in making Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s loan spell permanent.
However, before that happens, it was made clear the Serie A side would need to qualify for the Champions League, as funds would be limited without the extra cash provided by European qualification.
His age and contract situation (it expires in a year) would still make him a relatively cheap deal, but it would also represent a gamble when taking into consideration his injury record.
Well, that’s apparently led Roma to back off a bit, according to Corriere dello Sport, as the newspaper explain Arsenal are ‘open to selling’ the Armenia international, but the Italians ‘aren’t convinced’.
That doesn’t mean they won’t still make a move for him, but it’s stated Gianluca Petrachi and co. will wait to ‘decide at the end of the season’.
After missing out on the last four league games with a thigh muscle strain, the Arsenal loanee came back with a bang with a 90 minute performance and a goal in the 3-2 loss to Bologna at the weekend.
Il Messaggero, on the other hand, are much harsher, simply stating the forward ‘will not be bought’ and will return to the Emirates at the end of the season.
