Thursday, 27th June, 2013
Anzhi Makhachkala have attempted to hijack Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund's pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with a €35m bid that is well above his release clause, according to Russian daily Izvestia.
Mkhitaryan's rising value, thanks to 25 goals in 29 games, has been offset by recent reports that he skipped pre-season training in order to pursue a move to Liverpool.
Dortmund entered the race yesterday for the player by bidding his release clause value of €23m, but it appears Anzhi have stolen a march on both clubs.
The player's whereabouts are currently unknown with Shakhtar director Sergei Palkin yesterday giving Dortmund a 10-day deadline to accept his valuation of €30m.
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And with Anzhi topping that by a reported €5m, Palkin has today gone further by revealing he is open to negotiations for the Ukrainian league's leading scorer.
In an interview with Izvestia, Palkin said: "Henrikh is an important player in our team. Shakhtar wants to keep him, but we are willing to listen and consider all suggestions for a transfer.
"We have already parted with Willian (to Anzhi) and Fernandinho (to Manchester City), but the club will not just sell players.
"In the near future we will also gain quality, designed to replace the leading players, possibly including Henrikh."
It is understood that Mkhitaryan had skipped pre-season training owing to repeated links with Liverpool, with the Anfield club also keen to match the release clause.
The player's absence could result in a fine slapped by Shakhtar, who in turn, yesterday confirmed their purchase of Brazilian Fred from SC Internacional.
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