With question marks over whether Steven Gerrard will be fit to start the new season Brendan Rodgers appears to be planning for the future of his midfield. One of the greatest qualities in Gerrard’s magnificent range of skills is of course his goal-scoring ability from deep positions.
Step forward Shakhtar Donetsk’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The Daily Mail and The Guardian report that Brendan Rodgers has made the Armenian international one of his top summer targets. Reportedly valued at around £22m he certainly won’t come cheap. But with a hugely impressive 25 goals from midfield for Shaktar last season, he at least ticks one of the Gerrard boxes. The Guardian suggests that the player has also interested Barcelona, Manchester City and Chelsea over the last year and, with goal-scroing midfielders at such a premium, it’s easy to see why.
Mkhitaryan has scored goals wherever he has played, including 10 in 36 internationals for Armenia, a team that isn’t best acquainted with victory. Our favourite broadsheet continues:
‘Armenia’s three-time player of the year was a priority signing for the Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers, before Luis Suárez began pushing for the move that could transform the club’s transfer strategy and budget. Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool’s owners, are prepared to sanction a big money move for Mkhitaryan without a deal in place for Suarez, with both Real and Atletico Madrid interested in the Uruguay international, although uncertainty over other Anfield players is a complication at present.’
If Liverpool sign the player with other such big clubs sniffing around they will pull off a real coup. With rumours flying around about the signing of highly rated Greek defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos from Schalke, the spine of the Liverpool may well be overhauled come next season – exciting times for Liverpool FC.
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