Mikel Arteta has admitted that he is considering keeping Henrikh Mkhitaryan at Arsenal next season rather than selling him in the summer to Roma who want to keep him.
![Mikel Arteta: We are considering keeping Mkhitaryan with us next season 1 ROME, ITALY - FEBRUARY 23: Henrikh Mkhitaryan of AS Roma in action during the Serie A match between AS Roma and US Lecce at Stadio Olimpico on February 23, 2020, in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)](/static/uploads/2020/02/AS-Roma-v-US-Lecce-Serie-A-1582566132.jpg)
Unai Emery did not know how to use Henrikh Mkhitaryan and, as a result, he ended up being shunted off to Italy where he has shone.
Now, we are closing in on decision time and Arsenal could try to keep a player we all surely thought was half out the door, never to return.
“I always liked him very much – his words – and we know his characteristics and his past thoroughly: we have time, but we are considering keeping him with us next season,” Arteta said as reported by Corrie della Sera.
![Mikel Arteta: We are considering keeping Mkhitaryan with us next season 2 arteta mkhitaryan corriere della sera](/static/uploads/2020/03/arteta-mkhitaryan-corriere-della-sera.png)
It’s not hard to understand why Arteta would be keen to keep him at the club given the form he has shown this season at Roma despite suffering a few injuries.
When the summer rolls around and Mkhitaryan’s loan spell ends, he will have a year left on his Arsenal deal so a decision will need to be made.
Offer him a new deal (and probably have to increase his already sky-high wages) or sell him and use the money to buy a more affordable replacement?
Sadly, despite how much Arteta might want to keep the Armenian, finances at Arsenal may dictate otherwise.