Three weeks after coming to terms with Inter, Henrikh Mkhitaryan took the medicals and signed the contract with his new team yesterday. Only the official announcement is missing at this point. It may come after July 1st, as it is often the case with free-agent acquisitions. He is the second one in such respect after André Onana for the Scudetto runner-ups.
As per Tuttomercatoweb, the Nerazzurri managed to edge Roma by offering directly a two-year deal to the veteran. Instead, the Giallorossi proposed a shorter one with an option. The Armenian will earn €3.7M per season, plus a €2M signing bonus.
Inter targeted Mkhitaryan primarily to add depth to the midfield and back up Hakan Calhanoglu. Matias Vecino is leaving at the end of his expiring contract. Arturo Vidal will be let go once he finds a team that meets his requests. Stefano Sensi is not part of the technical plans, while the agent of Roberto Gagliardini stated he would stay.
The 33-year-old has tallied 29 goals and 28 assists in 117 appearances in 3 seasons in the Italian capital, progressively lowering his position on the pitch. He hit the net five times and set up nine teammates in the most recent campaign.
Our Take on Inter Signing Mkhitaryan
It is arguably a bigger loss for Roma than it is a valuable addition for Inter, considering that his role is probably not going to be particularly prominent. Still, getting a player of this caliber for free is a solid piece of business.