Reds were hoping to complete the long-running transfer last week.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan has failed to show up at his club’s pre-season training camp in Austria as the attacking midfield player attempts to force through his protracted £23 million summer move to Liverpool, reports the Daily Mirror.
The in-demand Armenia international has been the subject of intense speculation of late linking the player with a big-money move to Anfield for next season, although his club insist that they are still to receive any offers for their star man from the Merseyside giants.
And the Ukrainian champions are understood to be unimpressed by Mkhitaryan’s no-show in the Austrian Alps as the club prepare for the new season, with Shakhtar CEO Sergei Palkin confirming: “Mkhitaryan did not come to the training session on Monday, but he had to. We do not know why.
“If he does not join the team in the coming days he will be fined.
“Concerning Mkhitaryan’s behaviour, I know that he does not have any problems with his team-mates and coaches and we have not heard from him about his intention to leave Shakhtar.
“All the questions about Mkhitaryan’s behaviour should be addressed to him.”
And just where this latest episode leaves the transfer is open to debate, although it is believed that Liverpool head coach Brendan Rodgers is still desperate to bring the 24-year-old, who netted an eye-catching 26 goals in just 39 appearances in all competitions for his club last season, to Anfield when the summer transfer window reopens on July 1.
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