Liverpool Plan £20m Bid for Free Scoring Midfielder – Report

Liverpool are planning a move for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the summer in a bid to boost their chances of a top four finish next season, according to the Daily Mail. The Ukranian club value the midfielder at £20m but Brendan Rodgers won't be deterred by the price tag and has made the 24-year-old his prime target when the transfer window opens on the 1<sup>st of July.

The midfielder has been in brilliant form this season for Shakhtar, scoring more than 20 goals in all competitions and is likely to be brought in as a replacement for Luis Suarez, who has iterated a desire to move out of the club. Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are both interested in signing the Uruguayan, with the La Liga runners-up reported to have already agreed terms with the forward, according to the Marca. Suarez had recently lashed out at the English media, stating that they are running an agenda against him.

"I tried to do my job in England. I cannot apologise to the people in England any more. I'm angry with the English media, as they have never valued me as a footballer. The paparazzi followed me in the streets and I couldn't carry my daughter to the kindergarten, or I couldn't go to the supermarket," Suarez said.

Mkhitaryan has revealed that he will leave the club in the summer, but the Reds will face competition from Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham who have also been impressed by the playmaker.

"For every player, to play for the strongest clubs in the world is a dream, and the main goal. I will do everything possible to move this summer to a different team," Mkhitaryan said earlier in the year.

Liverpool are also looking at the possibility of signing Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke, who is yet to sign a new contract with the Villans. However, the player has expressed an interest in moving to Arsenal and has insisted that Paul Lambert's side won't be able to force him to stay at the club next season.

"Of course playing the World Cup in Rio is in my head. But I have no fear of falling out of the team. There is no point in me getting into a tug-of-war with Villa. If the chance comes up for me to join a club like Arsenal, I'm convinced we can reach a compromise where everyone comes out a winner," Benteke told the Sun.