Arsenal were rumoured to be interested in Roma winger Justin Kluivert (21) in a swap deal involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but it appears that only Arsenal fans consider it to be a great deal.
Unsurprisingly, Roma fans and their manager Paulo Fonseca aren’t as enthusiastic because the numbers simply don’t stack up. Mkhitaryan is said to be worth £13m at best, whereas Kluivert is thought to be worth £36m.
Roma would virtually be giving him away and even if they were desperate for money, it’s still a sucky deal. So much so that Fonseca is believed to have stepped in to stop any move going ahead.
Roma are likely to hold out for Mkhitaryan plus cash deal which will require £20m plus, but one senses that the manager would prefer the player stay put. Fonseca is trying to build for the future whilst maintaining the present.
Roma are currently in fifth place in Serie A, 18 points behind Juventus. In attack, they have work to do with a respectable, but not remarkable, 51 goals. Juve’s Achilles heel is in defence where they conceded 35 goals and incoming funds would certainly help the club look for alternative pieces to that particular puzzle.
If Arsenal feels they have some leverage in the proposed deal, according to Gazetta Dello Sport via Daily Mail, with Mkhitaryan heading to Roma and Kluivert moving to the Emirates, then they are completely wide of the mark. Roma have other options available to them and they could jettison Mkhitaryan in favour of someone such as Cengiz Under or Edin Dzeko.
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Arsenal can only really get around the £10m mark for the 31-year-old Armenian based on his indifferent form, and their attempts to add to that figure might put an end the deal.
By way of contrast, Cengiz Under is 22 and will cost £20.6m. Dzeko 34, would only cost £9m, so there are alternatives in age ranges, experience levels, and more importantly, price. Arsenal could easily blow this.
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