Anfield legend John Aldridge has expressed his disappointment over the apparent collapse of Liverpool's proposed move for Armenian maestro Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
According to the BBC:
"Liverpool have lost out on one of their major transfer targets after Shakhtar Donetsk's Henrikh Mkhitaryan agreed a £21.5m move to Borussia Dortmund"
Responding to the news, Aldo tweeted.
"It's a blow. He [Mkhitaryan] would have been a great signing: height, strength, goals and more"
Prior to the Dortmund revelation, Shakhtar Chief Executive Sergi Palkin - a British-trained accountant - told football.ua that:
- Mkhitaryan does NOT have a release clause in his contract.
- LFC have NOT 'agreed a fee' for the player, or even made an offer.
- Borussia Dortmund is the only club to put in an offer so far.
- Mkhitaryan's contract stipulates that he can buy himself out for $30m (£19.8m.)
When asked on Saturday morning about Dortmund's alleged deal for Mkhitaryan, Palkin appeared to refute the contention that the transfer is done and dusted. He told reporters:
"I have not talked to him [Mkhitaryan]. Borussia have offered us €25 million, but this is not enough. We are talking to the German club, and there is a real possibility that we will come to an agreement in the near future."
Ultimately, based on the available facts, nothing has really changed. Shakhtar are (seemingly) still holding out for €30m, and unless Mkhitaryan buys himself out of his contract, agreeing personal terms with Dortmund is pretty irrelevant at this stage.
The question is, do Liverpool really want Mkhitaryan? Based on the available facts, it doesn't appear so. As a comparison, consider the Clint Dempsey debacle from last summer. After Liverpool missed out on the American, he told ESPN:
""There was definitely interest there [from Liverpool], but there was nothing agreed to the point that you'd be going to get a medical done. Tottenham wanted me that much that they made things happen, and that's where you want to be; somewhere that you're wanted".
History seems to be repeating itself here, and it's clear that Ian Ayre et al haven't learned their lesson. Players like to feel wanted, if Liverpool really want Mkhitaryan, the club should stop messing about and just go in at asking price (or close to it).
Dortmund have taken action. They've made a bid, and that shows they WANT Mkhitaryan. Holding out in the hope of getting the midfielder on the cheap is clearly not working for Liverpool, and it sends the wrong message to the player, which could ultimately end with the Reds missing out. Again.
Sky Germany have allegedly reported that Liverpool have matched Dortmund's offer, but I can't find any credible evidence to confirm that.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
According to the BBC:
"Liverpool have lost out on one of their major transfer targets after Shakhtar Donetsk's Henrikh Mkhitaryan agreed a £21.5m move to Borussia Dortmund"
Responding to the news, Aldo tweeted.
"It's a blow. He [Mkhitaryan] would have been a great signing: height, strength, goals and more"
Prior to the Dortmund revelation, Shakhtar Chief Executive Sergi Palkin - a British-trained accountant - told football.ua that:
- Mkhitaryan does NOT have a release clause in his contract.
- LFC have NOT 'agreed a fee' for the player, or even made an offer.
- Borussia Dortmund is the only club to put in an offer so far.
- Mkhitaryan's contract stipulates that he can buy himself out for $30m (£19.8m.)
When asked on Saturday morning about Dortmund's alleged deal for Mkhitaryan, Palkin appeared to refute the contention that the transfer is done and dusted. He told reporters:
"I have not talked to him [Mkhitaryan]. Borussia have offered us €25 million, but this is not enough. We are talking to the German club, and there is a real possibility that we will come to an agreement in the near future."
Ultimately, based on the available facts, nothing has really changed. Shakhtar are (seemingly) still holding out for €30m, and unless Mkhitaryan buys himself out of his contract, agreeing personal terms with Dortmund is pretty irrelevant at this stage.
The question is, do Liverpool really want Mkhitaryan? Based on the available facts, it doesn't appear so. As a comparison, consider the Clint Dempsey debacle from last summer. After Liverpool missed out on the American, he told ESPN:
""There was definitely interest there [from Liverpool], but there was nothing agreed to the point that you'd be going to get a medical done. Tottenham wanted me that much that they made things happen, and that's where you want to be; somewhere that you're wanted".
History seems to be repeating itself here, and it's clear that Ian Ayre et al haven't learned their lesson. Players like to feel wanted, if Liverpool really want Mkhitaryan, the club should stop messing about and just go in at asking price (or close to it).
Dortmund have taken action. They've made a bid, and that shows they WANT Mkhitaryan. Holding out in the hope of getting the midfielder on the cheap is clearly not working for Liverpool, and it sends the wrong message to the player, which could ultimately end with the Reds missing out. Again.
Sky Germany have allegedly reported that Liverpool have matched Dortmund's offer, but I can't find any credible evidence to confirm that.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
