Why Inter rushed for new Mkhitaryan contract

Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s new contract with Inter was officially announced on Saturday, being the club’s priority ahead of the new year.

The 34-year-old Armenian midfielder has reinvented himself in black and blue after joining up with Simone Inzaghi’s side back in the summer of 2022, transforming into a deep-lying playmaker in the five-man midfield.

On Saturday, Inter confirmed new contracts for Federico Dimarco, Matteo Darmian and Mkhitaryan, with the latter penning a two-year deal worth around €3.9m net per season, the same wages as his previous deal.

Page 12 of today’s Gazzetta dello Sport details how Inter focused on pushing through Mkhitaryan’s new contract for two reasons in particular, not wanting things to be incomplete heading into the new year.

The first reason was because the club didn’t want to risk possibly losing the 34-year-old on a free transfer, as he’d be able to pen a pre-contract with a new club from January 1.

The second reason was because of the Growth Decree tax relief law, which expires at the end of December 31. By pushing through the new deal, the Nerazzurri were able to take advantage of the law for the Armenian’s new deal.