Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has started planning for more attacking reinforcements at Anfield by adding Armenia international Henrikh Mkhitaryan to his summer wishlist.
Mkhitaryan is one of several advanced midfield players on Rodgers’ radar, with Ajax’s Christian Eriksen and Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa also under serious consideration.
Rodgers is keen to recruit another ‘number ten’ to play behind his strikers, although he is also prioritizing a central defender to replace Jamie Carragher when the transfer window reopens.
The 24-year-old Mkhitaryan has caught the attention by impressing Shakhtar Dontesk, but he would cost around £12 million.
A more high profile target is Danish international Eriksen, the 21-year-old from Ajax who has just 18 months left on his current deal, alerting most of Europe’s top clubs to his availability.
Liverpool know they would face serious competition for Eriksen, which is why they’re eager to compile a variety of options – thus avoiding a scenario similar to last summer when the collapse of the Clint Dempsey deal left Rodgers with no viable alternative to cover the loss of Andy Carroll.
Ben Arfa is a possibility because Liverpool expects Newcastle to renew their interest in Carroll at the end of the season. A swap deal could make Carroll’s return to St James’ Park more feasible.
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