Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Borussia Dortmund want to sign Liverpool target Henrikh Mkhitaryan, reports suggest. (Reuters)

Borussia Dortmund will attempt to beat Liverpool to the signature of Shakhtar Donetsk's Henrikh Mkhitaryan, reports suggest.

The three time Armenian Player of the Year is thought to be one of Brendan Rodgers' priority transfer targets this summer and has been closely linked with a move to Anfield in recent weeks.

Mkhitaryan would appear keen on a move away from the Ukrainian champions, having failed to show up for pre-season training camp in Austria on Tuesday with the possibility of a move to the red half of Merseyside believed to be the reason behind his no-show.

Shakhtar have insisted they are yet to receive a bid from Liverpool but have indicated they are willing to listen to suitable offers for the attacking midfielder. However German daily Bild suggest Champions League runners up Dortmund are now ready to enter the fray, as they seek to fill the void left by Maro Gotze's departure.

Dortmund's influential midfielder Gotze will join Bayern Munich in the coming weeks after the Bavarian giants met his €36m buyout clause in the latter stages of the 2012/13 campaign.

The club have been linked with a number of attacking midfield talents in their quest to replace the German international but have now settled on Liverpool target Mkhitaryan, Bild suggest, and are now preparing a bid of €25m to bring the 24-year-old to the Westfalenstadion.

A number of reports have suggested that Liverpool were ready to pay £22m for the Armenian international, an offer in the same region as Dortmund's. But the presence of the Bundesliga side in next season's Champions League following their exhilarating European campaign last season could prove to be a pivotal factor in Mkhitaryan's decision, should he receive offers from both clubs.

Although he did not specify any individuals, Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc today shed some light on the club's summer plans, stating: "We will not be blackmailed by anyone. We are going to present at least three really good players."

Dortmund's reported interest could severely disrupt Rodgers' summer plans. The club have wasted little time in strengthening their squad ahead of new campaign having already confirmed deals for Kolo Toure, Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto and Simon Mignolet.

But the acquisition of the man who struck a record breaking 25 goals in the Ukrainian Premier League last season has seemingly been high on Rodgers' agenda as he continues to reshape his squad ahead of the new season.