OFFICIAL: Mkhitaryan makes a deadline day loan switch

Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has joined Roma on a season-long loan deal, the clubs announced.

The deal includes a fixed fee of €3 million for the 30-year-old Armenia international.

The 30-year-old played for Arsenal during the second half of the 2-2 draw with arch-rivals Tottenham on Sunday, but just 24 hours later he was on his way to join Italian Serie A side Roma.

“AS Roma are delighted to confirm the signing of Henrikh Mkhitaryan on a season-long loan deal”, the Serie A side said on their official website.

The former Borussia Dortmund forward had started just one of Arsenal’s opening four Premier League games, and it was clear that regular starts would be few and far between for him this season. With that in mind, the Armenian international jumped at the opportunity to head to Rome, where he will spend the season on loan.

Mkhitaryan will get the first-team football that he craves in a Roma side that will be pushing for Champions League football this season, and that is what he claims he needs at this stage of his career.

The switch happened quickly just before the European transfer window closed, but there was no hesitation on the player’s part.

“Everything happened in the last day right after the Tottenham game I got a call from my agent,” he revealed in an official interview. “He told me that I have to fly to Rome the next day to have a medical with the team and also sign a contract.

“It is a great opportunity for me as I didn’t get a lot of playing time.”

It remains to be seen what the long-term future holds for the playmaker, who still has two years remaining on his contract at the Emirates Stadium.

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