Liverpool Transfer News: Kit Deal Sparks Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marco Reus Rumours

After a January during which Liverpool abstained from any sizeable transfer moves, the Reds look set to be one of the big players in the summer window, according to reports. Indeed, Jamie Anderson of the Daily Star claims the Anfield club’s new kit deal with “New Balance” will prompt summer swoops for Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marco Reus.

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As reported by Joe Rimmer of the Liverpool Echo, the Merseysiders have announced a “record-breaking” deal with the American sportswear company, which will only serve to increase revenue as the Reds look to establish themselves in the upper reaches of English and European football.

According to Anderson’s piece, although this deal will not take effect until the season after next, the monetary benefits will be tapped into this summer, with the Borussia Dortmund duo apparently on Brendan Rodgers’ radar.

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Mkhitaryan certainly represents an interesting proposition for the Reds. The Armenian international is a player who the team tracked closely in the summer of 2013 before he eventually signed for the Ruhr club, but the player’s agent, Mino Raiola, has insisted that the midfielder is keen to leave the Westfalenstadion.

“Henrikh wants to leave Dortmund at the end of the season,” said Raiola, per Anderson’s piece. “We will have to wait and see what we can do.” 

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If he was to leave, here’s a look at why a host of clubs would be tracking his potential signature:

The 26-year-old would certainly give this Liverpool team something different. While he may not be completely easy on the eye or indeed the finest technical player, throughout his career he’s shown a knack for getting in dangerous areas around the penalty area and making a crucial impact in advanced positions.

This season, he’s been woefully out of form, though. With that considered, as noted by Bleacher Report’s German football expert Clark Whitney, the comments from Raiola are pretty ill-timed:

You suspect there will be a host of players ready to leave the Westfalenstadion if Dortmund’s form doesn’t see a dramatic upturn. With that being said, if the men involved in this dramatic slump don’t buck their ideas up then the calibre of club who want them come the end of the season could eventually dwindle.

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That won’t apply to Marco Reus, though. The German international forward is reportedly wanted by some of the continent’s very best sides, and according to Anderson’s piece, Liverpool have yet to give up on bringing him to Anfield. 

Here’s a look at what the Merseysiders could look forward to should they persuade Reus to join them:

As noted by Ed Maylon of the Daily Mirror, the 26-year-old has also been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid to name but a few. With that in mind, Liverpool would do very well to get him on board, especially with a reported release clause of circa £20 million set to become active in the player’s contract this summer.

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Bleacher Report’s German football expert Stefan Bienkowski told SiriusXM FM recently that Reus is one of a few players not to blame for Dortmund’s recent predicament:

Liverpool could offer Reus guaranteed first-team football and the chance to blossom into an iconic figure at one of England's biggest clubs.

At the moment, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to dangle the carrot of stirring Champions League nights at Anfield under the player’s nose, but qualifying for European’s elite competition is surely imperative if the Reds are to land the German.

Even so, with some of the game's most illustrious names tracking this fine player, do Liverpool in their current state have enough gravitas to lure Reus to Merseyside at the expense of United, Barca and Real?

While it would be intriguing to see him don the iconic all-red strip, at the moment, Reus’ future looks likely to be elsewhere.