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Once a rumoured Liverpool target, always a rumoured Liverpool target, and not even a successful transfer to another club can stop that. Even if a player moves elsewhere—as when Arda Turan left Galatasaray for Atletico Madrid or when Xherdan Shaqiri left Basel for Bayern—all it takes is a run of poor form or a rumble of discontent and just like that it's back to being linked with an Anfield move.
Today, Henrikh Mkhitaryan joins the ranks of players who were linked with a Liverpool move only to head elsewhere—and then still be linked to Liverpool. With rumours swirling the attacking midfielder feels unloved and unhappy with Dortmund, there is speculation he could be moving on before the end of the January window. Juventus are the most commonly suggested potential suitor, but Arsenal and Liverpool are also being mentioned.
"It was hard to see him leave Shakhtar for Dortmund," former manager Mircea Lucescu told Tottosport, with the Italian outlet inquiring into the potential for the player to make a Juventus move over the next week and a half. "It would not surprise me to see him join Juventus, as he is a player who needs to feel affection and right now there is too much pressure on him with Dortmund. I think his time at Dortmund is nearly over."
So far it is only the tabloids suggesting Liverpool could return for him, and if Lucescu’s insight into the player’s mental state is accurate, hopefully that’s as serious as the rumours get. Mkhitaryan has been largely disappointing since his Dortmund move a season and a half ago, and has been mired in poor form this season, registering no goals or assists in 12 league and five European matches and just a single goal in the German cup.
If the pressure brought on by that rut of form and by Dortmund’s struggles this season iare enough to have him feeling unloved and ready to move on again, one cannot help but doubt his suitability for Liverpool and the Premier League. Even on better form, it’s far from clear where he would fit given attacking midfield is Liverpool’s deepest position and the club already have a number of standouts who play their best football there.
At least for the time being, though, whether or not Mkhitaryan could get his career back on track with a Liverpool move seems a moot point given the second rate sources of the rumour and moreover that there have been no signs the club is actually planning on making any major signings this month.
