When Manchester United and Arsenal swapped Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alexis Sanchez, the Chilean’s transfer got a lot more attention from press and fans, obviously because of the higher status he has.
That’s why when the deal took a bit longer to be made official, as Mkhitaryan was still in negotiations to move to London, it was a little ludicrous that some Manchester United fans were angry at him for holding up the deal, as if the Armenian didn’t have a personal choice in the matter.
Mkhitaryan wanted to make the best decision for his career, and that’s what he explained in an interview with ESPN Brasil this week.
The midfielder revealed the reasons that encouraged him to leave Manchester United and play for Arsene Wenger, who he expects to learn a lot from.
“Of course sometimes you need some refreshing,” Mkhitaryan told ESPN Brasil. “And I think this was the best moment for me, because there were a few things that didn’t work out in Manchester… Because I was 29 years old, I wanted to play more, because I know that in a few years time I’ll be able to end my football career, and it’s very important for me to make my name bigger.
“That’s why, maybe, it was the best moment, and the best time to change something and to get a new challenge, a new club, and start everything from zero. I’ve learned a lot from my previous two managers, Klopp and Mourinho, and I want to learn more from Arsene Wenger as well. And it’s too early to compare them to each other, I still need time to work with Arsene Wenger. Of course from the time being here I’ve learned a lot already, and I want to learn more.”
The midfielder made his debut for Arsenal in a 3-1 defeat against Swansea City, but soon had another game to show his skills, as he made three assists in the 5-1 victory over Everton.
