Ex-Arsenal and Man Utd player Henrikh Mkhitaryan reveals retirement plan after 'most tiring season of my life' with Inter ended in Champions League final misery

Inter Milan midfielder Mkhitaryan has no immediate plans to retire, despite admitting that the 2024-25 season was the "most tiring" of his career. The season proved to be a rollercoaster for the Armenian, as Inter narrowly missed out on the Serie A title to Napoli and endured a heavy 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final. Nonetheless, Mkhitaryan remains committed to continuing his career, even after a grueling and challenging campaign.

Mkhitaryan was among the standout performers for the Nerazzurri throughout the 2024-25 campaign, forming a reliable midfield trio with Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella. They were on course to win the treble for the first time since 2010, before their season collapsed within a span of one month. Indeed, Inter fell to a 4-1 aggregate defeat in the Coppa Italia against arch-rivals AC Milan. They remained alive in the Scudetto race until the final day but eventually lost out to Antonio Conte's high-flying Napoli.

After defeating Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, the Italian giants had a good chance of finishing the season with a major trophy, but Luis Enrique's rampant PSG side handed a humiliating reality check in the final. From having a chance to win all three major trophies to winning none of them, Inter really fell apart in the final weeks of the campaign, which surely took a big toll on all players, including Mkhitaryan.

Speaking to La Reppublicain an interview, Mkhitaryan said: "I said that this is the most tiring season of my life, with three competitions. And that I don't know how much I have left to play. I don't rule out anything, but I know I still want to go on the pitch. I have a one-year contract with Inter, if they don't kick me out I'll stay (laughs). I don't want to retire with the regret of having done it too early."

Mkhitaryan also confirmed that Inter would be his final club in his career. He explained: "After Inter I'll stop. I don't want to lower the level, I won't go back to play in Armenia. And destinations like Arabia don't interest me. With all due respect, I love football for the game, not for the money. When I wake up, I want to train and show what I'm worth."

The former Arsenal and Manchester United midfielder has another year left on his Inter contract, by the end of which he will have turned 37. It remains to be seen whether the Serie A outfit will offer a new deal to the veteran midfielder, with rumours already suggesting that they are planning to sign a successor to the ex-Armenian international. He will next be seen in action on Thursday, when Christian Chivu's side take on River Plate in their final group game of the ongoing Club World Cup. Inter must secure a win to ensure their passage to the round of 16.