Borussia Dortmund star Henrikh Mkhitaryan admits he almost joined Serie A before and is open to Juventus. “We’ll see this summer.”
The Armenian creative midfielder has already been a Bianconeri transfer target for over a year and this summer could be the right time.
“In a splendid season for Borussia I want to give my best for this club. I am happy here, but in the career of a football player everything can change so quickly,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Borussia Dortmund star Henrikh Mkhitaryan admits he almost joined Serie A before and is open to Juventus. “We’ll see this summer.”
The Armenian creative midfielder has already been a Bianconeri transfer target for over a year and this summer could be the right time.
“In a splendid season for Borussia I want to give my best for this club. I am happy here, but in the career of a football player everything can change so quickly,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Juve? In this life anything is possible, you never know. This is why I do not say anything on Juve or other teams. We’ll see what happens in the summer,” he smiled.
“I have no preference between Liga, Premier League and Serie A. They are all top tournaments. The important thing is to choose a club where you can give your best.”
Last summer Mkhitaryan had been suggested as the ideal replacement for Andrea Pirlo at Juventus.
“Pirlo was unique, a God of football. Other than his technique, I am amazed by his ability to start moves from the back.
“At Borussia I have the freedom to move from right to left so I can play between the lines. That way we all score lots of goals and I have a lot of fun setting my teammates up.
“Would I be able to do that at Juventus? But they have such super strikers as Paulo Dybala, Alvaro Morata and Mario Mandzukic. There’d be no room for me.”
What if Morata left and Dybala moved into a more advanced role?
“I don’t know. Maybe…”
Mkhitaryan speaks “five and a half languages: Armenian, English, French, Russian, Portuguese and German. Will the next be Italian? Maybe.
“I was on the verge of joining Chievo at the age of 19, but I was advised otherwise. Evidently it was fate. At Shakhtar Donetsk I helped Mircea Lucescu speak to the Brazilian players, seeing as I learned Portuguese during a trial at Sao Paulo when I was 13. I also started to learn some Italian thanks to Lucescu.
“At Borussia Dortmund under Jurgen Klopp out football was non-stop pressing and counter-attack. Instead, Tuchel changed my life. Now we dictate the play and I have more freedom to attack. Thanks to him I am now able to make myself more useful.
“I consider myself a complete midfielder now, but realise every day I must work hard to be quicker, more concentrated and always aim to improve my technique.”
Mkhitaryan is extremely intelligent and is about to complete his degree in economic studies, so won’t be easily led on his future.
“From the moment I met Mino Raiola, we agreed on one very important fact: I will accept his advice, but I have my own mind and no decision will be imposed on me.”