Just when you thought the Romans had run their course, Inter Milan have pulled a classic piece of business by handing Henrikh Mkhitaryan a new contrac...
Just when you thought the Romans had run their course, Inter Milan have pulled a classic piece of business by handing Henrikh Mkhitaryan a new contract at the age of 37. The news, confirmed exclusively by GoalZaza on Tuesday morning, raises a few eyebrows in the press box but should provoke nothing but admiration from the Nerazzurri faithful. Let's be brutally honest here: Mkhitaryan isn't just a veteran presence in the dressing room. He is arguably the most intelligent footballer on the pitch.Simone Inzaghi's side relies heavily on transitional play, and the Armenian international remains the fulcrum of that system. He isn't going to outpace a young full back anymore; that race was won long ago. Instead, he operates in that pocket of space just outside the opposition's low block, receiving the ball on the half turn and slipping in a runner or picking out a crossfield switch with the outside of his boot. It is that first touch, that ability to kill a loose ball dead and instantly change the angle of attack, which makes him invaluable. You cannot coach that kind of footballing brain.There was a moment last season, a dreary winter fixture against a packed defence, where Mkhitaryan simply received the ball, let it roll across his body, and threaded a pass straight through three static defenders. Clinical finishing and brute force often win the headlines, but that sort of manipulation of space is what wins football matches. He is the oil that keeps the Inter engine running without any squeaky bum time.Of course, the cynics will point to his age and his declining legs. They are not wrong to worry about the physical drop off. Yet Inzaghi has built a system that protects him. With a double pivot behind him and wing backs providing width, Mkhitaryan is allowed to drift. He is a free man in the middle third, a conductor rather than a runner. The club clearly sees his tactical flexibility as far more valuable than any potential replacement who might cost a fortune in fees and wages. This is a low risk, high reward move from a club that knows exactly what it is doing.So what does this mean for the immediate future It means Inter have retained a leader who has seen it all and done it all. In the high pressure cauldron of a title race or a Champions League knockout tie, you need men who do not bottle it. You need a footballer who can hold the ball, slow the game down, and then suddenly inject pace into the attack. Mkhitaryan does all of that. It is a quiet signing, but potentially a defining one for the coming season. The maestro has decided to stay. That is good news for everyone who loves intelligent football.
