Tweet
DORTMUND SNAP UP ARMENIAN MKHITARYAN FROM SHAKTAR
Deutsche Welle Sports, Germany
July 8, 2013 Monday 5:30 PM EST
Borussia Dortmund have agreed terms with attacking midfielder Henrikh
Mikhtaryan from Shaktar Donetsk. The publicly traded club announced
the move in a message to the markets, saying the deal was pending
finalization. Blaszczykowski, Aubameyang, Lewandowski and now Henrikh
Mkhitaryan: Borussia Dortmund's attacking lineup is becoming the
stuff of tongue-twisting folklore.
On Monday, the team confirmed the purchase of the 24-year-old attacking
midfielder (left in picture, playing against Dortmund this past season)
from Shaktar Donetsk, after the Armenian international banged in 25
goals and laid on another 10 in the previous season. The English
Premier League club Liverpool were also reportedly in the running
for his services.
"Borussia Dortmund and the player have reached a fundamental agreement
for a playing contract that would run to June 30, 2017," the traders'
announcement said. "The details must still be finalized."
Previous reports suggested that it would take some 25 million euros
($32.13 million) to prize Mkhitaryan away from Shaktar. If confirmed,
such a fee would make the Armenian the club's most expensive signing
ever. Dortmund, flush with cash after their run to the Champions
League final and the sale of German international Mario Gotze to
Bayern Munich, have also signed attacker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
and center-back Sokratis this summer.
The club announced that "according to current indications," the
Mkhitaryan purchase would mark the wrapping up of its "meaningful
transfer activities" ahead of the coming season. Dortmund also
announced that its transfer war chest of about 50 million euros was
"largely depleted."
The big Lewandowski issue
Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, Dortmund's and the Bundesliga's
top scorer over the past two seasons combined, remains the great
unknown in Jurgen Klopp's preseason preparations. The forward and
Bayern Munich transfer target, who has just one year remaining on
his Dortmund contract, arrived at the club's preseason training camp
on Monday. Team officials have said they don't intend to sell him to
Bayern, but messages on the player's more general availability have
been mixed. The Bavarians on Monday offloaded their want-away forward,
German international Mario Gomez, to Fiorentina.
If Lewandowski plays out his contract - an extension would seem out
of the question at this stage - he could leave for free next sumer.
"Now we want to prove that we can be successful in the coming season
with a quality player like Robert," Jurgen Klopp said of Lewandowski in
a Welt am Sonntag newspaper interview. "Our results are more important
than anything else, and I know Robert sees it that way too."
Klopp also said he was hopeful that Dortmund's new signings would
allow them to take the fight to Bayern more convincingly next
season, after the Bavarians cantered to a domestic double in the last
campaign. Dortmund lost against Bayern in the German Cup quarterfinal
and the Champions League final, finishing 25 points adrift in the
Bundesliga.
"We have our bow and arrow. It's just that Bayern have a - precision
- bazooka. The likelihood that they hit the target is therefore
considerably greater. Nevertheless, Robin Hood was supposedly rather
successful," Klopp told the newspaper.
msh/mkg (dpa, SID)
Deutsche Welle Sports, Germany
July 8, 2013 Monday 5:30 PM EST
Borussia Dortmund have agreed terms with attacking midfielder Henrikh
Mikhtaryan from Shaktar Donetsk. The publicly traded club announced
the move in a message to the markets, saying the deal was pending
finalization. Blaszczykowski, Aubameyang, Lewandowski and now Henrikh
Mkhitaryan: Borussia Dortmund's attacking lineup is becoming the
stuff of tongue-twisting folklore.
On Monday, the team confirmed the purchase of the 24-year-old attacking
midfielder (left in picture, playing against Dortmund this past season)
from Shaktar Donetsk, after the Armenian international banged in 25
goals and laid on another 10 in the previous season. The English
Premier League club Liverpool were also reportedly in the running
for his services.
"Borussia Dortmund and the player have reached a fundamental agreement
for a playing contract that would run to June 30, 2017," the traders'
announcement said. "The details must still be finalized."
Previous reports suggested that it would take some 25 million euros
($32.13 million) to prize Mkhitaryan away from Shaktar. If confirmed,
such a fee would make the Armenian the club's most expensive signing
ever. Dortmund, flush with cash after their run to the Champions
League final and the sale of German international Mario Gotze to
Bayern Munich, have also signed attacker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
and center-back Sokratis this summer.
The club announced that "according to current indications," the
Mkhitaryan purchase would mark the wrapping up of its "meaningful
transfer activities" ahead of the coming season. Dortmund also
announced that its transfer war chest of about 50 million euros was
"largely depleted."
The big Lewandowski issue
Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, Dortmund's and the Bundesliga's
top scorer over the past two seasons combined, remains the great
unknown in Jurgen Klopp's preseason preparations. The forward and
Bayern Munich transfer target, who has just one year remaining on
his Dortmund contract, arrived at the club's preseason training camp
on Monday. Team officials have said they don't intend to sell him to
Bayern, but messages on the player's more general availability have
been mixed. The Bavarians on Monday offloaded their want-away forward,
German international Mario Gomez, to Fiorentina.
If Lewandowski plays out his contract - an extension would seem out
of the question at this stage - he could leave for free next sumer.
"Now we want to prove that we can be successful in the coming season
with a quality player like Robert," Jurgen Klopp said of Lewandowski in
a Welt am Sonntag newspaper interview. "Our results are more important
than anything else, and I know Robert sees it that way too."
Klopp also said he was hopeful that Dortmund's new signings would
allow them to take the fight to Bayern more convincingly next
season, after the Bavarians cantered to a domestic double in the last
campaign. Dortmund lost against Bayern in the German Cup quarterfinal
and the Champions League final, finishing 25 points adrift in the
Bundesliga.
"We have our bow and arrow. It's just that Bayern have a - precision
- bazooka. The likelihood that they hit the target is therefore
considerably greater. Nevertheless, Robin Hood was supposedly rather
successful," Klopp told the newspaper.
msh/mkg (dpa, SID)