Arsenal: Is Henrikh Mkhitaryan worth all the hassle?

Henrikh Mkhitaryan seems to be stalling over joining Arsenal as a swap for Alexis Sanchez. Is he actually worth the hassle or should the Gunners just take the cash?

Alexis Sanchez is desperate to join Manchester United. That seems fairly clear at this point. He has essentially refused to play for Arsenal, he has caused a rift between his teammates, his manager and his fans, he has shunned the advances of Manchester City, and now he has reportedly agreed to terms on a four-and-a-half year deal that will keep him at Old Trafford well into his thirties.

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The only glitch, it seems, is the ability of United and Arsenal to agree on a price for the player, one that they are both satisfied with. That is something that is complicated greatly by two factors: Sanchez’s only has six months remaining on his contract, so valuing him accurately is quite difficult; Arsene Wenger is desperate to secure a replacement and sees a swap deal as the best way to do that.

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The reason why a swap deal would be better for the Gunners is simple: when they approach other clubs about the possibility of signing an attacker, it is clear that he is a replacement for Sanchez. Suddenly, £10 million is slapped on the price. Wenger would rather that complication falls on United and not him.

And the player that he has targeted is former Borussia Dortmund creator Henrikh Mkhitaryan. It makes sense. Mkhitaryan is very much a Wenger player. Intelligent in his movement, subtle on the ball, accurate and creative in his passing, attractive in his general play. He would certainly be an astute addition to try and fill the void that Alexis will inevitably leave.

The problem, though, is that swap deals are notoriously difficult to complete. There are, just by virtue of there being two players and not one on the move, far more moving parts that must all fit together. And so far, that is being somewhat problematic.

Mkhitaryan is reportedly pushing hard for some rather eye-watering wages. Knowing his agent, Mino Raiola, that is not all that surprising. He fights vehemently for his players’ wishes, and that inevitably, involves cash. Moreover, Mkhitaryan is allegedly unconvinced over playing at Arsenal, abandoning United in the process. While he has not been treated well by Jose Mourinho, he is not exactly desperate to leave, per many wide-ranging reports.

That is why the deal is stalling. And the longer it stalls, the less likely any transfer will go through, including Sanchez’s departure. It makes me wonder whether Mkhitaryan is worth all of the hassle. He is undoubtedly a good and talented player, but his form at United is not even average. It is downright disastrous — just five goals and six assists in 2,283 minutes.

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So is the Armenian actually worth all the trouble? There are suggestions that United are also willing to pay £35 million in cash for Sanchez. Perhaps, after all this commotion, that might be the better offer to take. For now, Mkhitaryan is still an intriguing option. But the longer this drags on, the less interested I become.