At the time of writing, Liverpool are reportedly close to securing a deal for Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Source: The BBC). The Reds are supposedly willing to part with £20m to sign the Shakhtar Donetsk player, Mkhitaryan appearing to be Brendan Rodgers’ main target this summer. But many of you reading this may not have heard of the playmaker before speculation about his future started. So, who exactly is he, and what can he offer to Liverpool?
Starting his career at hometown club Pyunik Yerevan, Mkhitaryan made his debut at the age of 17, spending three years in Pyunik’s first team, scoring 30 goals in 70 Armenian Premier League appearances. His impressive goalscoring record caught the eye of Metalurh Donetsk, city rivals of future club Shakhtar.
After an incredible first season with Metalurh, which started by scoring on his debut, he scored nine league goals in 29 matches, as well as four goals in six Europa League matches. At the start of his second season in Ukraine, he was named captain of Metalurh, though his time as skipper was short lived.
After making eight appearances as Metalurh captain, Mkhitaryan left Metalurh to join Shakhtar in August 2010 in a transfer worth just under £5m. In somewhat of a quiet first season for Shakhtar, the Armenian was still part of a treble-winning side, as the club won the league, Ukrainian Cup and Ukrainian Super Cup.
Mkhitaryan established himself as a key player for Shakhtar in the 2011/2012 season, in which the club retained the league and Ukrainian Cup. With 11 goals in 36 matches in all competitions, the midfielder was named Shakhtar Player of the Season.
In the 2012/2013 season, Mkhitaryan scored the most goals in any Ukrainian Premier League season, netting 25 times, including 10 times in the first six league matches. He made his Champions League debut in this season, in which he scored twice against Norwegian outfit Nordsjaelland on said debut.
For the Armenian national team, Mkhitaryan has scored 11 times in 39 internationals, most recently last week, netting the final goal in Armenia’s 4-0 trouncing of Denmark.
The 24-year-old has won seven league titles between Armenia and Ukraine, four domestic cups and three Super Cups. Mkhitaryan is a three-time Armenian Player of the Year, as well as the Ukrainian Premier League Player of the Year in 2012.
As a player, Mkhitaryan likes playing just behind the strikers, and ex-pro and analyst Pat Nevin previously said of the Armenian:
“Eleven goals in eight league matches already is fantastic, but when you add that he is a midfielder, it is phenomenal. You may not have heard of him yet, even if all the scouts at the top European clubs have, but you soon will. He has pace, skill, a rocket of a shot and the ability to arrive in the box like Frank Lampard. This all singles him out as a player who must be watched or more importantly marked.”
If Liverpool can get their man for £20m, it could prove to be a wise investment, given Mkhitaryan’s age; at 24, he could have another 10 years at the top, maybe more.
Along with Kolo Toure, Iago Aspas and potentially Simon Mignolet, Brendan Rodgers is certainly keeping busy in this transfer window as he tries to strengthen Liverpool to challenge for a place in next season’s Top Four.
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