In January of 2018, Arsenal FC and Manchester United made a swap plus cash deal that saw Alexis Sanchez headed to Old Trafford and Henrikh Mkhitaryan going the other way. Here on summer transfer window deadline day 2019 (for much of Europe), both players are now off on loan to Serie A.
It’s safe to say this deal didn’t really work out for anybody involved (although it was certainly nothing short of disastrous for United). Mkhitaryan now joins AS Roma on a season long loan, arriving in the eternal city on to finalize the deal on Monday.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has arrived in Rome… ??? pic.twitter.com/APvE8igkMp
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) September 2, 2019
According to the BBC’s David Ornstein, the “oracle of Arsenal,” Roma “will pay a loan fee and the 30-year-old’s wages, but there is no option or obligation to buy the Armenia international.”
The winger, who scored nine times in 59 appearances with Arsenal, was with United from the summer of 2016 to January of 2018, having moved over from Borussia Dortmund.
Roma’s official account has posted photos of the Armenian national team captain undergoing his medical:
Visite mediche per Mkhitaryan ? pic.twitter.com/1B2E40u4VO
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) September 2, 2019
Mkhitaryan joins Nacho Monreal (Real Sociedad) and Mohamed Elneny (Besiktas) as players of note leaving Arsenal this weekend as the transfer window winds down. Arsenal headed into international break in fifth place, right where they finished last season. They are level on points with fellow London club Crystal Palace, but one behind on the goal differential tie breaker.
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