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For Liverpool supporters, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has become the most sought-after player since Juan Mata, and if reports out of Germany today are to be believed, the story is destined to end similarly. High hopes for a player of promise and potential, and one that ultimately chooses to ply his trade elsewhere, except instead of Chelsea it's supposedly Champions League and Bundesliga runners-up Borussia Dortmund landing the player. Sky Germany and Bild were among the first to report that representatives from the German club were Ukraine-bound, and since that time all signs point to Liverpool missing out on their top target.
Raphael Honigstein covers German football for a number of reliable outlets and typically has the inside track--just like the Eastern European reporters that kicked off the countdown for Liverpool to officially announce Mkhitaryan--on players moving in and out of the country, and has had a series of tweets over the last hour furthering the idea that the Armenian will be moving to Dortmund.
. @Bild is reporting that Mkhitaryan has set his mind on joining Dortmund, and agreed personal terms with them. Fee remains a problem. #LFC
— raphael honigstein (@honigstein) July 5, 2013
Sky Germany are reporting that a @BVB delegation have flown to Donezk today.
— raphael honigstein (@honigstein) July 5, 2013
I personally wasn't convinced Dortmund's interest was real. But they wouldn't fly to the Ukraine if it wasn't serious & seen as possible,imo
— raphael honigstein (@honigstein) July 5, 2013
should add that "Dortmund bosses have flown to Ukraine" story came from Sky Germany's BVB reporter @Sky_StephanS . Good one to follow
— raphael honigstein (@honigstein) July 5, 2013
"only some legal details yet to be finalised"
— raphael honigstein (@honigstein) July 5, 2013
Disappointing if it proves to be true, and it would certainly be a loss for Liverpool after having done so well with their other moves earlier in the window. It wouldn't be a complete catastrophe, however--the fee for Mkhitaryan would have been very significant, and for a similar price the club could arguably find significant talent to fill at least two areas of need (deep-lying CM cover, fullback, central defense). It's still early in the window, and with links constantly emerging, the hope is that Liverpool proceed smartly and carefully from here.
We'll have to wait for further confirmation that the deal is indeed pushing through, but it's never too early to start coming up with reasons why this wasn't going to turn out that well anyway.
Read More: Transfers: Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Liverpool