Arsenal could reportedly price themselves out of offloading Henrikh Mkhitaryan on a permanent basis to Roma this summer.
The 31-year-old joined the Italian giants on a season-long loan deal last summer, and while injuries have disrupted his campaign, he has still managed to contribute six goals and four assists in 20 appearances.
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With competition for places fierce at Arsenal, it’s unclear if Mkhitaryan has a role to play at the Emirates moving forward, but there is seemingly uncertainty over whether or not he will be able to secure a permanent move to Roma this summer.
According to Calciomercato, the price-tag that the Gunners have for the Armenian international is £23m, and it’s noted that as he prepares to enter the final 12 months of his current contract and given his age, Roma wouldn’t be interested in splashing out that much on him.
However, an alternative strategy is touted, which would involve Mkhitaryan signing a contract renewal with Arsenal at a lower salary, and then joining Roma again on another season-long loan.
Time will tell if that’s a solution that suits all parties or not, but based on the report above, it sounds as though there is doubt over Roma’s ability to reach an agreement to sign Mkhitaryan outright this summer.
Another factor which could further complicate the situation is the Giallorossi’s ongoing push to secure Champions League qualification.
As things stand, they sit in fifth place in the Serie A table, three points adrift of Atalanta in fourth. If they were to fail to break back into the top four, that could arguably restrict their ability to spend this summer further.
That said, much will depend on the coronavirus crisis at this point, with all football in Italy on hold as the outbreak continues to sadly claim hundreds of lives each day in the country.