Henrikh Mkhitaryan says he took no time at all to settle in with AS Roma, and he’d like the chance to stay with the Serie A club after this summer.
Speaking in an interview from the Italian embassy in Armenia (via Di Marzio), Mkhitaryan confirmed he’s happy with AS Roma and he’d like to stay.
“I felt comfortable right away, both with the team and the city,” Mkhitaryan began. “It would be nice to stay. The main objective is to qualify for the Champions League and win some titles.
“I don’t have many years left and I want to leave a positive memory, maybe tied to a title or something good for the team.
“Italian football is underrated, it has some unique qualities and it’s interesting playing here. It’s not like twenty years ago but it’s improving and I’m happy to play here.”
Of course, we should be extra careful with any quotes from Mkhitaryan at the moment. Earlier this month, the player’s agent had to speak out to deny the legitimacy of comments claiming the winger’s time in London is already over.
Most recently, reports from Italy suggested Arsenal and AS Roma are still some way apart in their valuations of Mkhitaryan. Arsenal want around €17m, bringing his total fee to €20m if you include the €3m loan fee. Roma feels that’s too high for a 31-year-old.
Mkhitaryan scored six goals and assisted four in 17 appearances for Roma before the Serie A shutdown. He had two fairly serious injuries, keeping him out for most of October, November and January.
If he can stay fit and play regularly if and when Serie A returns, that may encourage a higher offer.