Henrikh Mkhitaryan has revealed why he swapped Old Trafford for the Emirates last month.
The Armenian was allowed to leave Manchester United after an overall disappointing spell in the North West, despite only spending 18 months at the club since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2016.
He was ultimately made a makeweight for Alexis Sanchez, who moved in the opposite direction, however, speaking to ESPN Brasil, Mkhitaryan said it was time for a change of scenery and to start again.
He said:
“Of course sometimes you need some refreshing.
“And I think this was the best moment for me, because there were a few things that didn’t work out in Manchester.
“I was 29 years old, I wanted to play more, because I know that in a few years’ time I’ll be able to end my football career, and it’s very important for me to make my name bigger.
“That’s why, maybe, it was the best moment, and the best time to change something and to get a new challenge, a new club, and start everything from zero.”
Mkhitaryan set pulses racing during his home debut, assisting three of Arsenal’s five goals against Everton, including one for former Dortmund teammate, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.