Early on Monday evening, Arsenal finally confirmed the signing of Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Manchester United as part of the deal that has seen Alexis Sanchez leave the club for Old Trafford.
The Armenian international arrives at the Emirates on a three-and-a-half year deal and is looking to turn his career around after falling out of favour under Jose Mourinho at United.
Meanwhile, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger hailed the 29-year-old’s versatility as he looks to rebuild in light of Sanchez’s departure.
“We lose a world-class player and we gain a world-class player.
Mkhitaryan has the qualities to integrate into our game and that is based a lot on movement and technical quality. I think he has the attributes, a good team attitude as well and I’m confident that it will work.
He can play in all kinds of positions – on the flanks and he can play through the middle as well. I think he’s very versatile and it should help us to be very efficient going forward”.
When asked whether Mkhitaryan will be fast-tracked onto the Gunners’ teamsheet, though, Wenger was a little more cautious:
“That depends first of all on the team performances and on his own fitness and performances in training as well.
He suffered a little bit maybe from the competition he had there (at United) and overall that is his challenge.
My challenge is to get him to express his talent completely, that we know is absolutely right because he has done extremely well, so he has a new challenge that we want to help him be successful in”.
The History
Mkhitaryan joined Armenian outfit FC Pyunik as a six-year-old back in 1995, progressing through the youth system before making his senior debut in 2006 as a 17-year-old.
During his four seasons at the club, Mkhitaryan led them to a quartet of league titles, bagging 30 goals in 70 appearances in the process.
Snapped up by Ukrainian side Metalurh Donetsk in July 2009, the midfielder produced 11 goals and seven assists across 37 league appearances before joining Shakhtar Donetsk midway through the 2010/11 campaign.
However, Mkhitaryan took time to settle in his new surrounds. In 43 appearances across his first season-and-a-half, he managed 13 goals and seven assists before bursting into form in 2012/13, serving up 25 goals and nine assists in his final year at the club.
Arriving at Borussia Dortmund in July 2013, the playmaker hit the ground running with nine goals and 10 assists in 31 Bundesliga appearances. However, he suffered from injuries and a lack of form in the subsequent season, producing only three goals and four assists in 21 league starts in the club’s final year under Jurgen Klopp.
His third, and final, season in Dortmund was the Armenian’s most productive and earned him a Players’ Player of the Year accolade. With Thomas Tuchel at the helm, Mkhitaryan delivered 11 goals and 15 assists in 31 outings and showed his versatility by making 16 of his 31 appearances on the right of a 4-3-3.
Intriguingly, the 29-year-old and fellow Gunners’ target Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang teamed up for six of their side’s goals, teeing up each other on three occasions.
But a move to Man United under Mourinho in the summer of 2016 has stalled Mkhitaryan’s career.
Handed 15 starts – with a further nine league appearances off the bench – the playmaker managed just four goals and an assist last season. His main contribution arrived in the Europa League, where he notched six times in 11 fixtures.
He started this term strongly, delivering a goal and five assists in the first five Gameweeks, but has failed to add to that output over a further 10 outings.
On the international stage, Mkhitaryan made his debut for Armenia in 206 and has gone on to supply 25 goals in 70 appearances.
The Prospects
A move to Arsenal now hands Mkhitaryan the perfect opportunity to start afresh and draw a line under his time with Mourinho. Indeed, it says everything about his toils at United that he was afforded 90 minutes on just four occasions over a season-and-a-half.
Although it’s easy to point to his failings at Old Trafford, let’s not forget that Mourinho was also unable to get the best out of players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah while at Chelsea. The same can also be said for the 2015/16 iteration of Eden Hazard – he managed three assists in the first 16 Gameweeks before the Blues finally parted company with Mourinho.
With Sanchez now gone, Mkhitaryan – who has taken up the Chilean’s number seven shirt – will surely become a key figure in Arsenal’s restructuring program.
Offering an option alongside Mesut Ozil in the central support roles in a 3-4-2-1, he could play centrally or right in a 4-2-3-1 or be utilised in advanced central or wide areas in the 4-1-2-3 formation that Wenger has recently borrowed off Man City.
The latest statements from the Arsenal boss indicated that he could eventually end up playing on the flank.
“He can play in different positions, but personally I see him first in a wide position, but I’m thinking about him a possibility to play through the middle”
The new boy echoed Wenger’s thoughts on his versatility, when on his quizzed on his favourite position.
“All over the pitch. It doesn’t matter exactly where. I don’t stay in one position, I always try to move to create space to [support] my team-mates. I’m everywhere!”
Having already featured for United in the Carabao Cup, he is ineligible to play in this evening’s semi-final second-leg encounter against Chelsea. With Arsenal already out of the FA Cup, Mkhitaryan’s debut could therefore be next Tuesday evening when the Gunners travel to Swansea in Gameweek 25.
He’s also available to play in the Europa League, though as witnessed so far this season, Wenger has mainly limited his teamsheets to fringe players in this competition.
Now down to just 7.6 in Fantasy Premier League and costing £10m in Sky Sports, his price point in the former game makes him a very intriguing differential proposition at 5.9% ownership.
Mkhitaryan’s creativity, in particular, will be a welcome addition at the Emirates. An average of 33 minutes per key pass isn’t far off Sanchez’s 30 this season, though in terms of big chances created, his tally of one every 155.2 minutes is superior to Ozil’s 170.4, for example.
That, in turn, could benefit Alexandre Lacazette’s prospects up front and/or, potentially, elevate Aubameyang as a viable premium-priced striker, should he make the mooted switch from Dortmund.
Mkhitaryan could now vie with Ozil for a share of dead-ball duties and may well knock Granit Xhaka down the pecking order for corner kicks.
However, the new arrival’s goal threat remains an issue – Mkhitaryan was limited to an effort every 62.1 minutes for United this season and managed just six of his 15 shots on goal from inside the box, finding the net once.
Once settled, though, a security of starts seems far more assured under Wenger and improved pitch-time should boost his self-belief, potentially bringing him into consideration for our five-man midfields.
Yet Aaron Ramsey may ultimately present a cheaper option – now down to 6.9 in FPL, the Welshman poses a greater close-range goal threat, with 28 of his 40 efforts from inside the box.
Indeed, some of Wenger’s recent comments on the competition among his attacking midfielders is of interest here.
“Some will have to be in and out. But on the other hand, we have seen that Ramsey has been out many times, Wilshere as well, we play in many competitions. You have a number you can fit in.
Some people need confidence and to feel security, but in football teams, there is a number that pushes you, a number that makes you asleep, and a number that paralyses you. So you have to find the right number in each squad to give fair competition.”
That would indicate that Wenger may be teeing up a rotation policy, though in the past we’ve seen both Ozil and Sanchez largely immune to that. It remains to be seen if the same applies to Mkhitaryan.
Looking at the upcoming fixtures, a trip to Swansea and home clash with Everton hands Mkhitaryan a favourable start to life in north London.
However, Arsenal then face a derby trip to Spurs, while their Gameweek 28 clash with Man City could yet be rescheduled should City make passage to the fifth round of the FA Cup and be taken to a replay.
From Gameweek 29 onwards, though, Mkhitaryan has a run of matches that is ranked first in terms of attacking potential by our season ticker.
Indeed, Arsenal play just two of the current top nine in the final 10 Gameweeks – away to Man United in Gameweek 36 and at home to Burnley the following week.
