Gianluca Petrachi: Henrikh Mkhitaryan Gave Up 'Lots of Money' to Leave Arsenal

AS Roma's sporting director has revealed Henrikh Mkhitaryan gave up "lots of money" to secure his loan move from Arsenal on the final day of the summer transfer window.

Gianluca Petrachi went into detail about the reasoning behind Roma's pursuit of Mkhitaryan and the player's desire to make it happen, per Callum Vurley of the Daily Star:

"The idea was to invest in important young people. In situations where we found ourselves at the end of the market, or we made investments in young people or operations like those for Micky.

He is a top player with very high costs and costs, the boy has given up on lots of money to come to Rome. Time will tell if we have the chance to keep players like that."

Vurley also noted that the amount Mkhitaryan is earning in the Italian capital is unknown. Arsenal would surely have hoped to have Roma pay a significant proportion of the 30-year-old's £200,000 weekly wages.

At the time of the deal, BBC Sport's David Ornstein reported Roma would pay the attacking midfielder's wages, as well as a loan fee. However, Mkhitaryan has said he "didn't even have a discussion with my agent about money" when the opportunity to leave the Gunners arose, per Adam Goodwin of Sky Sports.

It hardly matters what the reality is about Mkhitaryan's earnings and Roma's fiscal obligation during his season-long sabbatical from Arsenal. The bottom line is Roma have acquired a mercurial talent who didn't always produce his best for the Gunners.

Mkhitaryan moved to Arsenal from Manchester United in the winter of 2018, with Alexis Sanchez going the other way.

At the time, it looked like a perfect fit since the Armenia international was joining a squad containing similar flair players such as Mesut Ozil. Then-manager Arsene Wenger was known for his adherence to a stylish brand of football, and that enhanced the idea Mkhitaryan had found the right club to revive his career in England.

Instead, injuries and Wenger stepping down to be replaced by the more pragmatic Unai Emery served to stifle Mkhitaryan. He became a player whose natural technique and vision seemed to desert him.

Not even the presence of striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whom Mkhitaryan once thrived with at Borussia Dortmund, could get the latter back on track.

The deterioration in his form left Mkhitaryan surplus to requirements in Emery's squad, particularly after this summer's transfer business. Emery acquired Dani Ceballos on loan from Real Madrid, a player who, like Ozil, can operate in the No. 10 berth Mkhitaryan could also fill.

Meanwhile, the club-record deal to sign winger Nicolas Pepe from Lille meant Mkhitaryan was no longer needed on the flanks. So did the returns of academy graduates Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe, who spent last season plying their trades in the Bundesliga on loan spells.

Now the onus is on Mkhitaryan to resurrect his career in a Roma squad hoping to close the gap to Inter Milan, Napoli and Juventus in Serie A. Mkhitaryan has a notable supporter in Roma legend Francisco Totti, who told Sky Sports Italia (h/t Football.London's Phil Spencer): "The fans will certainly appreciate him here, as he has great technique and is eager to prove himself."

Mkhitaryan has yet to appear for his new club but showed signs of life on the international stage by starring during Armenia's 4-2 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday.

The timing, specifically Wenger's departure, has probably condemned Mkhitaryan's Arsenal tenure to failure. He should get back to his best in Italy, even though Roma have no obligation to buy.

In the meantime, those concerned about Arsenal's need to trim their wage bill—which is among the most expensive in the league—will hope Roma are indeed picking up a significant portion of the tab for Mkhitaryan.