Looking to strengthen their squad without breaking the bank, Lazio have included Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the list of future free agents they are chasing. José Mourinho wants the Roma striker to extend his expiring contract but he will be able to decide for himself.
Corresponding tuttomercatowebthat Biancocelesti President Claudio Lotito personally moved to try to persuade the Armenian veteran. The striker previously signaled that he is ready to stay with the Giallorossi. However, the parties will not start negotiations until the end of the season.
The situation leaves an opening for the suitors. Lazio are already in talks with his agent Mino Raiola to sign Alessio Romagnoli and are also likely to have touched on Mkhitaryan in recent meetings. The 33-year-old currently earns €3.5 million, which is comparable to the richest salaries in the US Biancocelesti roster. Roma wants to step up for two more years and lower his annual salary, Corriere dello Sport informed.
The Eagles are keeping tabs on several players who will be out of contract in a few months, such as Matias Vecino and Federico Bernardeschi. With Mkhitaryan, Lazio are looking to repeat what they did with Pedro last summer. However, Roma wanted to sack the player in this case. He also had a previous connection with Maurizio Sarri. Instead, in this case, the Giallorossi want to keep their pivot. However, they have to agree with him on the new deal. He has 4 goals and 9 assists in 41 games so far.