Liverpool Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mamadou Sakho

Juventus are reportedly preparing an offer for Borussia Dortmund star Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the Armenian attacking midfielder believed to be a transfer target of Liverpool.

According to talkSPORT (h/t Metro's markbrus88), the Bianconeri will open with a £14 million offer to start negotiations. The report acknowledged that his capture may no longer be a priority for the Reds following the arrival of Roberto Firmino.

Mkhitaryan has started the season in excellent form for Borussia Dortmund, scoring twice against Borussia Monchengladbach in Dortmund's Bundesliga opener, as noted by WhoScored.com. It was a welcome change for the 26-year-old, who has struggled since moving to Germany from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013.

Bleacher Report's Clark Whitney believes a sale is unlikely at this point given his hot start to the season, and it's hard to disagree.

Giuseppe Marotta, director general for the Bianconeri, agrees with the sentiment. As reported by Football Italia, he recently addressed the speculation, saying: “Henrikh Mkhitaryan? I don't know if Borussia would sell him.”

Juventus still have a clear need for a prolific attacking midfielder capable of adding something extra to the attack and have some funds following the sale of Arturo Vidal to Bayern Munich.

Liverpool were believed to have the same issue, but the emergence of Philippe Coutinho as a bona fide superstar last season and the arrival of Firmino seem to have solved said conundrum.

Manager Brendan Rodgers conducted most of his transfer business early in the season, and at this point in time the Reds don't have a need for another attacking midfielder. Mkhitaryan would be an excellent addition should he become available, but he seems unlikely to be leaving Die Schwarzgelben anytime soon.

Mamadou Sakho to Force Move?

Francois Mori/Associated Press

According to L'Equipe (h/t Daily Star's Colin Harvey), Mamadou Sakho is concerned with his lack of playing time ahead of the upcoming Euro 2016 tournament and could be ready to ask for a transfer amid reports of multiple bids for his services.

The Reds turned down approaches from AS Roma and Bayer Leverkusen, but with consistent minutes hard to come by for the French centre-back, he could still attempt to force a move:

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Defender Mamadou Sakho is ready to ask to leave Liverpool to pursue a move abroad.

That's according to French paper L'Equipe who say Sakho wants first-team football.

The Kop have turned down offers from Roma and Bayer Leverkusen for the Frenchman who is yet to feature for Liverpool this season.

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The 25-year-old's future is more than a little uncertain, as he has yet to receive a single minute of playing time this season. The Reds' defence has looked shaky at best, but despite the perceived limitations of some of his team-mates, Rodgers is unwilling to give Sakho a chance.

The Times' Oliver Kay recently told fans he believes a sale is on the horizon during a live webchat (h/t LFCZA):

Sakho joined Liverpool from Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 and made a solid impression during his first season.

He rarely played at the start of the 2014-15 campaign―leading to an odd incident where he left the stadium before a crucial derby against Everton, via the Daily Mail's Ben Nagle―but reclaimed his spot with a series of impressive performances toward the end of the season.

With the likes of Raphael Varane, Aymeric Laporte and Eliaquim Mangala battling for a starting position with the French national squad, Sakho needs to play consistent minutes to have any chance of rivaling his compatriots.

So far, it doesn't look as if Rodgers is willing to insert him into the starting XI, so a sale shouldn't be out of the question, despite reports of the Reds' turning down Roma and Leverkusen.

Whether anyone would offer Liverpool fair value in the event of a sale is questionable, however. As shared by Football365, the defender is part of a group of players who cost the club a pretty penny and have done little to maintain their values:

Sakho's value will only drop if he doesn't play, so Rodgers will have a decision to make: either trust the Frenchman to do his job and give him the chance to prove himself on the pitch, or sell him as soon as possible.

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