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SCOUTING RUMOURED LIVERPOOL TARGET HENRIKH MKHITARYAN
Bleacher Report
April 10 2013
By Mark Jones(Featured Columnist) on April 10, 2013
Armenia doesn't necessarily come to mind when you think about great
football.
Shakhtar Donetsk don't immediately come to mind when you think about
the Champions League either, but that hasn't stopped the Ukrainian
side being mainstays in the competition over the last decade, with
plenty of their players impressing over that time.
One of the latest is 24-year-old attacking midfielder Henrikh
Mkhitaryan, who has caught the eye alongside the Brazilian-born talents
Willian, Eduardo, Taison and Douglas Costa. Mkhitaryan's name might
not roll off the tongue as easily as theirs do, but he's been no
less impressive.
The Yerevan-born midfielder has carved out a reputation as one of
European football's great under-appreciated talents in recent seasons.
Capable of playing both in a central striking role, in one of the
wide forward positions or running in from midfield, Mkhitaryan is a
very modern footballer who always seems to be on the move and looking
to make things happen.
Crucially, he is capable of making those things happen too, and
he can boast a record of better than a goal every three games in
over 90 appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk, whilst his 10 strikes in
36 appearances for Armenia mean that he will soon become his young
country's all-time record goalscorer.
Mkhitaryan starred as Shakhtar qualified from the group stages of
this season's Champions League from a section that included Juventus
and Chelsea, with the midfielder scoring his first and second goals
in the competition in the 2-0 win over FC Nordsjaelland on Matchday 1.
Such feats have, of course, attracted the interest of plenty
of European football's heavyweights, and with Mkhitaryan himself
admitting that he would be open to a move this summer (via Sky Sports)
could cause a mad scramble for his signature.
Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers reportedly want to be at the front of
that queue (via Daily Telegraph).
With Rodgers and owners Fenway Sports Group keen to see Liverpool
further develop their stylish, entertaining attacking play, Mkhitaryan
would seem to fit into that mould with ease.
Apparently able to speak fluent English (via Ukrainian Football 1894),
it would be easy to see the Armenian slotting into the Liverpool side
alongside the creative and goalscoring talents of the likes of Luis
Suarez, Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge.
Mkhitaryan wouldn't come cheap, of course, but he isn't likely to
command the kind of megabucks money that many of Europe's top attacking
midfielders have over the past couple of years, and whilst that will,
of course, play into Liverpool's hands, it will also see plenty of
competition emerge for the attacker.
Liverpool and Rodgers will have to hope that that competition isn't
too tempting for the Armenian, but with European football of any kind
looking far from certain to be taking place at Anfield next season,
the Reds' chances of recruiting him could be slipping.
Having made his name in the Champions League, Mkhitaryan won't be too
keen to step outside it for an uncertain period of time, and so the
Reds are going to have to hope that it is the lure of the Premier
League and a likely starting berth that point him in the direction
of Anfield.
As with all of Liverpool's potential signings, there is an awful
lot that needs to go right for any deal to even be close to being
completed, but Mkhitaryan would certainly add an awful lot to the
squad were he to be added.
Armenia might not come to mind when you think about football, but
Liverpool fans could be thinking a lot about one of their players
very soon.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1596657-scouting-rumoured-liverpool-target-henrikh-mkhitaryan
Bleacher Report
April 10 2013
By Mark Jones(Featured Columnist) on April 10, 2013
Armenia doesn't necessarily come to mind when you think about great
football.
Shakhtar Donetsk don't immediately come to mind when you think about
the Champions League either, but that hasn't stopped the Ukrainian
side being mainstays in the competition over the last decade, with
plenty of their players impressing over that time.
One of the latest is 24-year-old attacking midfielder Henrikh
Mkhitaryan, who has caught the eye alongside the Brazilian-born talents
Willian, Eduardo, Taison and Douglas Costa. Mkhitaryan's name might
not roll off the tongue as easily as theirs do, but he's been no
less impressive.
The Yerevan-born midfielder has carved out a reputation as one of
European football's great under-appreciated talents in recent seasons.
Capable of playing both in a central striking role, in one of the
wide forward positions or running in from midfield, Mkhitaryan is a
very modern footballer who always seems to be on the move and looking
to make things happen.
Crucially, he is capable of making those things happen too, and
he can boast a record of better than a goal every three games in
over 90 appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk, whilst his 10 strikes in
36 appearances for Armenia mean that he will soon become his young
country's all-time record goalscorer.
Mkhitaryan starred as Shakhtar qualified from the group stages of
this season's Champions League from a section that included Juventus
and Chelsea, with the midfielder scoring his first and second goals
in the competition in the 2-0 win over FC Nordsjaelland on Matchday 1.
Such feats have, of course, attracted the interest of plenty
of European football's heavyweights, and with Mkhitaryan himself
admitting that he would be open to a move this summer (via Sky Sports)
could cause a mad scramble for his signature.
Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers reportedly want to be at the front of
that queue (via Daily Telegraph).
With Rodgers and owners Fenway Sports Group keen to see Liverpool
further develop their stylish, entertaining attacking play, Mkhitaryan
would seem to fit into that mould with ease.
Apparently able to speak fluent English (via Ukrainian Football 1894),
it would be easy to see the Armenian slotting into the Liverpool side
alongside the creative and goalscoring talents of the likes of Luis
Suarez, Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge.
Mkhitaryan wouldn't come cheap, of course, but he isn't likely to
command the kind of megabucks money that many of Europe's top attacking
midfielders have over the past couple of years, and whilst that will,
of course, play into Liverpool's hands, it will also see plenty of
competition emerge for the attacker.
Liverpool and Rodgers will have to hope that that competition isn't
too tempting for the Armenian, but with European football of any kind
looking far from certain to be taking place at Anfield next season,
the Reds' chances of recruiting him could be slipping.
Having made his name in the Champions League, Mkhitaryan won't be too
keen to step outside it for an uncertain period of time, and so the
Reds are going to have to hope that it is the lure of the Premier
League and a likely starting berth that point him in the direction
of Anfield.
As with all of Liverpool's potential signings, there is an awful
lot that needs to go right for any deal to even be close to being
completed, but Mkhitaryan would certainly add an awful lot to the
squad were he to be added.
Armenia might not come to mind when you think about football, but
Liverpool fans could be thinking a lot about one of their players
very soon.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1596657-scouting-rumoured-liverpool-target-henrikh-mkhitaryan