Express, UK
July 6 2013
Liverpool told to stump up 30m to secure Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Liverpool will have to pay over 30m to secure the services of
Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan this summer.
By: Nick Lustig
Brendan Rodgers is eager to add the Armenian to his squad, after
letting Jonjo Shelvey join Swansea earlier this week for £5m.
And the Liverpool manager is preparing to enter the race after
Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund made an official offer
for the player.
But Shakhtar’s chief executive Sergei Palkin is adamant the playmaker
will not leave the club for less than their asking price.
He told Football.ua.: “Borussia Dortmund offered 23 million for him.
“This was the sole offer, but our position is 30 million.
“Mkhitaryan doesn’t have a release clause in his contract, but it does
spell out the penalties for unilateral termination of the contract,
which is equal to $30 million.
“If Mkhitaryan wants to terminate the contract, he must pay Shakhtar
$30 million and go to a club that he likes. If we go in a civilized
manner and sell the player, and in doing so he does not break the
contract, the value we place on him is 30 million.”
After signing goalkeeper Simon Mignolet from Sunderland last week,
Rodgers claimed the recruitment drive at Anfield was far from over
putting a creative player top of his wish list.
He told the club’s official website: “I still think another attacking,
creative player, and depending on what goes out of the club – because
naturally there might be one or two players who need to go out and
play more – then we’ll need to fill those areas that have been
vacated.”