Why Henrikh Mkhitaryan Will Spend at Least 1 More Season at Borussia Dortmund

Henrikh Mkhitaryan's impressive first half of the 2015/16 season for Borussia Dortmund hasn't gone unnoticed. German magazine Kicker ranked the Armenian playmaker in the highest category (link in German): For them, Mkhitaryan's season so far was world-class.

In their reasoning, they wrote (via Futbolgrad.com's Manuel Veth): "The officials at Borussia Dortmund have always been aware of Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s fantastic skills. But now under Thomas Tuchel, Mkhitaryan’s potential is finally unfolding; the Armenian has been involved in 34 goals in the competitions that he has played for Borussia Dortmund."

While fans should always take these ratings with a grain of salt—more than anything, they intend to keep sales up during the winter break—Mkhitaryan's ranking reflects the 26-year-old's incredible turnaround.

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Henrikh Mkhitaryan: 15/16 - 28 games - 15 goals - 19 assists pic.twitter.com/BjBTVd2BCH

— Ali. (@Tuchelosophy) December 29, 2015"

Just one year ago, he looked like a broken man—devoid of confidence and denied the love of the Westfalenstadion, the Armenian's brilliance was hidden away behind a sad face. Now, Mkhitaryan is not only one of the most important players at Dortmund, he's also one of the most revered among the club's millions of supporters.

The Armenia international's development puts his contract situation in focus. With his current deal set to expire in 2017, Mkhitaryan figures to be near the top of the list in terms of contract talks the club will hold with a number of players during the winter break.

The 26-year-old is widely expected to agree to an extension, but how long will he realistically stay at Dortmund?

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Asked about his aspirations to move to one of Europe's biggest clubs by German magazine Stern in October 2015 (link in German), Mkhitaryan said he was already at a big club. There seems to be a certain loyalty to the Black and Yellows after the club stuck with him through rough times in his first two years in Germany.

Dortmund, remember, broke their transfer record when they signed him for €27.5 million from Shaktar in 2013, according to Transfermarkt.de (link in German). Despite a pretty good first season at the club, the investment has only really started to pay off in the current campaign.

Offers from the biggest clubs, however, could test Mkhitaryan's loyalty in the near future. If he continues his impressive season, there's little doubt someone will come knocking in the summer already.

His agent, the infamous Mino Raiola, is already setting the stage for a potential move in the summer, telling Italian paper Tuttosport a transfer to Juventus is possible.

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Raiola: "Juve will win the Scudetto, as they are the strongest team. Mkhitaryan? He has a 50% chance of joining Juve. Oscar? 30%." TS

— Khaled Al Nouss (@KhaledAlNouss) December 31, 2015"

Even if that has the look of a strategic move in order to get BVB to offer Mkhitaryan a better contract, the chances are that—at some point—Dortmund will have to fight to keep their No. 10.

If he stays on the course he has set in the last six months, the Armenian will have every opportunity to play for any club he wants. He's quick, creates goals both for himself and team-mates, puts in a lot of work defensively that almost goes unnoticed and does it all with an elegance that will please the eyes of even the most spoilt groups of supporters.

There are some facts that work in Dortmund's favour, however. Most notably, Mkhitaryan turns 27 on January 21. If he extends his contract as expected, there's no chance the Black and Yellows will sell him in the upcoming summer transfer window, which means the earliest he could become available would be at the age of 28—probably too old for a move to a top club in Europe.

It would not be surprising at all to see Mkhitaryan play at Signal Iduna Park into his 30s, but Dortmund fans should temper their expectations. There's just as good a chance that he outgrows the Black and Yellows and makes a move in 2017 or 2018—in his interview with Stern, he mentioned it's his dream to win the Champions League someday.

Dortmund fans need not worry, however. The Armenian is a man of integrity and will give it his all for the club until his last day in a yellow shirt—whenever that comes.

Lars Pollmann is a featured columnist writing on Borussia Dortmund. He also writes for Yellowwallpod.com. You can follow him on Twitter.