On Monday, we covered a story in the Italian media following Roma’s 4-2 loss to Sassuolo where Henrikh Mkhitaryan was singled out for being ‘always injured’.
Il Messaggero pointed out the Armenian was one of many signings that haven’t worked out as well as the Italian club would have wanted to, continuously failing to adequately replace the likes of Mohamed Salah and Alisson, among others.
Mkhitaryan was meant to arrive from Arsenal and help out as best he could anywhere behind the striker, but injuries have hindered his chances of rekindling his career after it had started to dwindle at both Old Trafford and the Emirates.
Corriere dello Sport’s Roma edition dedicate a whole page to his situation on Tuesday, looking at how the loan has gone so far.
Currently injured, the 31-year-old is hoping to be back in time for the match against Atalanta on February 15th; a come back that will be his last chance to prove himself and hope for a permanent stay.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan | ‘Always injured’ – Arsenal loan starting to feel like a failure, five starts since Septemberhttps://t.co/jl5itZj147 #afc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) February 3, 2020
While the two clubs didn’t include a view to buy in Mkhitaryan’s loan deal, Corriere point out it’s still a possibility.
They write that if the forward ‘gives sufficient guarantees’, Gianluca Petrachi (the club’s director of football) will negotiate the ‘definitive purchase’ by ‘taking advantage of his age and his contract that runs out in 2021’.
It would be a cheap deal, which is why they wouldn’t mind doing it, but Mkhitaryan must first demonstrate he can have an impact over a long period of time, like between mid-February and the end of the season.
If he doesn’t, he’ll return to Arsenal, and, as Corriere put it, it’ll be ‘no harm done’ for Roma.
