Former Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan has now delivered his verdict on his former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.
It’s not often that we see straight swap deals in the Premier League.
They always seem like a great idea in theory, but very rarely actually happen.
That is ultimately why the 2018 deal which saw Arsenal send Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United in a swap for Henrikh Mkhitaryan was so stunning.
No money exchanged hands in this deal as the Premier League giants simply swapped players in a shock January move.
In truth, the deal didn’t work for anybody; Sanchez managed only five goals for United and Mkhitaryan scored just nine times for Arsenal.
Remarkably, the pair are now teammates in Italy as they turn out for title-chasing Inter Milan in Serie A.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan on Arsenal and Arsene Wenger
Mkhitaryan has now made an appearance on Andrea Ranocchia’s podcast over in Italy, as transcribed by FC Inter News.
The Armenian was asked about Arsene Wenger and noted that it was the Frenchman who wanted to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.
Some wondered if Mkhitaryan’s arrival was down to Sven Mislintat after the duo crossed paths at Borussia Dortmund.
Mkhitaryan suggests that Wenger wanted him but things became tricky when the legendary boss left Arsenal just months later and was replaced by Unai Emery.
Mkhitaryan felt that Emery was trying to adjust to English football and things just didn’t work out, paving the way for Mkhitaryan to join Roma in 2019.
The midfielder added that Wenger is ‘very intelligent’ and was just so kind to everybody inside Arsenal, doing everything to try and avoid a bad atmosphere.
“I didn’t feel too bad, Wenger wanted me and they exchanged me for Sanchez. But after six months they fired him and Emery arrived. He tried to adapt to English football,” said Mkhitaryan.
“A very intelligent person, when things didn’t go well he never looked for culprits. Always kind towards the players and the club’s staff. He always looked for players who were good not only technically but also as a person. For him it was important not to ruin the environment,” he added on Wenger.
It’s easy to imagine Mkhitaryan shining under Wenger if they worked together a little earlier.
The fact that they only had a few months together is something of a shame but Mkhitaryan continues to shine elsewhere.
Mkhitaryan is now 35 but has racked up seven assists in 29 Serie A games this season, helping Inter take top spot.
The veteran should end the season as a league champion – and it may yet be a similar story for Arsenal as they chase glory under Mikel Arteta.
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