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Roma's Henrikh Mkhitaryan, on loan from Arsenal, is apparently happy to appear for the EPL club again, reports suggest.
Mkhitaryan, who went to Arsenal as part of the now infamous swap deal which resulted in Alexis Sanchez going to fellow EPL club Manchester United, is reportedly curious to play under Mikel Arteta.
Mkhitaryan's EPL adventure not over?
When asked about his future, Mkhitaryan affirmed in an interview on Futbol with Grant Wahl that he would prefer to make his move to Roma permanent.
"Of course I would like to be at Roma for next season, not only next season but for another few years."
However, the Armenian went on to state that he would have no problems turning out for the EPL club if the move to Italy did not materialise.
"Of course, if I am not going to stay at Roma I have to go back to Arsenal. I'm not complaining, football life changes so quickly so you have to be ready to play wherever you are."
Mkhitaryan came to the EPL as a Manchester United player from Borussia Dortmund, becoming the first Armenian to play in the league. After winning the Europa League with United, Mkhitaryan found himself surplus to requirements and was involved in the deal for Sanchez.
However, both players failed to perform for their respective clubs. Sanchez is now on loan at Inter Milan, while Mkhitaryan was sent to Roma.
The 31-year old midfielder has been good for Roma this season. In just 8 starts in Serie A, Mkhitaryan has scored 6 goals and 3 assists for the club. Injuries have meant that his impact has been limited.
Some rumors suggested that Arsenal would be willing to let Roma sign Mkhitaryan permanently. However, the EPL club have apparently asked for young Dutch winger Justin Kluivert in return.
It has been reported that new Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a fan of Mkhitaryan and would be willing to give him a chance to prove himself.
Arsenal are in serious need of reinforcements. With a very limited transfer budget, the EPL giants need to be clever in order to sign good players. Apart from Kluivert, they have been linked with moves for Chelsea's Willian, Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey and RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano.
The EPL side are currently 9th in the table, 8 points behind 4th placed Chelsea. If they win their game against Manchester City this weekend, only 2 points would separate them and 5th placed Manchester United. If City's Champions League ban is upheld, finishing 5th would be enough to qualify for Champions League football next season.
Roma, on the other hand, are more focussed on making their loan moves permanent. Apart from Mkhitaryan, they are also talking with EPL side Manchester United for defender Chris Smalling, who has been one of Roma's best players this season. They are currently 5th in Serie A, 3 points behind Atalanta, and having played a game more.
Arsenal and Roma both need to focus on finishing the EPL and Serie A respectively on a high note.
