Roma target permanent summer deal for 'quality' Arsenal loanee Henrikh Mkhitaryan
AS Roma boss Paulo Fonseca has revealed he would be keen to sign Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan on a permanent basis.
Mkhitaryan moved to the Italian side last summer on a season-long loan deal as he went in search of more regular first-team football.
The attacking midfielder had slipped down the pecking order under then Arsenal head coach Unai Emery and joined Roma for a loan fee of £2.75million.
There was no obligation to buy clause included in the deal, but Roma are still exploring the possibility of signing Mkhitaryan permanently in the summer.
“Mkhi during this season got some injuries but he is returning now and he is proving his quality,” Fonseca told Sky Sports.
“He is a player with great decisions on the pitch and I would also like to keep Mkhi in our team.”
After a slow start to life in Italy, Mkhitaryan is starting to find his feet and his goal in the 4-0 win over Lecce on Sunday was his second in four matches.
“It was an important win to get some confidence back for the next games,” the 31-year-old told Roma TV.
“It wasn’t easy, we need to get back our faith in the league. We believe in fourth place, of course, but we have to take it one game at a time and remain concentrated.
“The team has regained confidence with these two wins, but we must always work to improve. We never stop improving, we must be ready to adapt ahead of every opponent.”
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