Arsenal’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan sheds some light on why he switched Arsenal for Italian side AS Roma on transfer deadline day.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has explained to Sky Sports why he swapped Arsenal for Roma on deadline day.
The Armenian struggled at the Emirates after swapping Manchester United in a deal that saw Alexis Sanchez go the other way in January 2018. Mkhitaryan played 59 times for the Gunners in his 18-month stay and directly contributed to 22 goals.
On the back of a splendid performance for his national side against Bosnia this week, Mkhitaryan explained why he chose to leave England after a fairly underwhelming three years.
He said: “I have to enjoy playing football, no matter the place. In England, I no longer felt happy. I got a call from my agent and I wanted to come because it was a great opportunity for me. I didn’t even have a discussion with my agent about money.”
Mkhitaryan’s spell at Manchester United was also not quite as good as he would have liked as he boasted similar numbers to that at Arsenal. In 63 appearances, he scored 13 and set up 11 goals which is a disappointing return considering how good he was with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
The Armenian skipper was arguably one of the best players in Germany and the reason why he failed in England certainly remains a mystery. However, Mkhitaryan was quick to admit that he wasn’t a right fit to the English game and claimed that a move was the right decision.
“Maybe I was not fitting so well in English football, so I think a change was good.”
If the 30-year-old can replicate his form from his Dortmund days in the Italian capital, he is sure to become a fan favourite and Roma will have a very good season with him in their attack.
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