JUST FOR YOU Arsenal ready to offer Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Roma as part of £36m Justin Kluivert transfer

ARSENAL could offer Henrikh Mkhitaryan as a makeweight in a move to sign Roma star Justin Kluivert.

Posted Sunday, June 14, 2020 by Thesun.co.uk

Mkhitaryan has spent the season on loan at Roma and the Italian side were initially seeking to do a similar deal for the next campaign.

JUST FOR YOU Arsenal ready to offer Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Roma as part of £36m Justin Kluivert transfer
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (right) could be vital in Arsenal's push to sign Justin Kluivert (left) Credit: Getty Images - Getty

But reports in Italy claim Arsenal remain interested in Kluivert, the son of Dutch legend Patrick.

Roma value the winger, 21, at up to £36m and would play hardball because they have to pay 10 per cent of any fee over £18m to his former club Ajax, in accordance with a clause in the deal which took him to Italy in 2018 for an initial £15m.

Both Kluivert and Mkhitaryan, who could be worth up to £10m in a part-exchange deal, are represented by notorious agent Mino Raiola.

Like most clubs, Arsenal will not be able to finalise their plans for the next transfer window until they know whether they will be playing in Europe next season.

But whatever happens on the pitch, the Gunners would not mind getting Mkhitaryan’s £180,000 per week off their wage bill permanently.

Similar financial considerations also make it unlikely Arsenal will take up the option - which expires after June 30 - of keeping David Luiz for another year on his £120,000-per-week terms.

Head coach Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu are confident that on-loan trio Dani Ceballos, Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares will all agree extensions to their deals to keep them at the Emirates at least until the season is completed.

Meanwhile Fraser Forster has emerged as a shock target for the Gunners.

There is uncertainty about whether current No 2 goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez will be happy to spend another season without much first-team football.

If Martinez moves on, Forster is a candidate to provide back-up to Bernd Leno alongside young ‘keeper Matt Macey.

Former England international Forster, now 32, has fallen completely out of favour at St Mary’s.

But a successful spell on loan at former club Celtic, which included some eye-catching displays in the Europa League, have put him on the radar of Arsenal and other clubs.