• Premier League

Mkhitaryan prepared to be patient over future

Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is keeping his cards close to his chest as speculation continues over an impending move to Liverpool.

Mkhitaryan, 24, has been linked with a transfer to Liverpool throughout this month ahead of the reopening of the international transfer window is thought to be close to completing a £20 million switch. But it believed to be a slow moving deal with complications over the player's ownership.

The Armenia international is happy to honour his contract with Shakhtar, and last week the Ukrainian club insisted that Liverpool had made no approach for a player who scored 25 goals last season - but they did not rule out a deal.

Mkhitaryan told his official Facebook page: "I am happy to see that people show keen interest in my career but I would like to ask all not only to refrain from making comments but also to prevent the spread of unverified and false information. I am not meddling with these affairs. If have a contract with a club, I just fulfil it.

"If an agreement is reached between clubs I will be informed of the details and then will accept or reject it. I'm not planning any media communication because I cannot comment on things of which I have no information. Professional players have rules in life and I'm obliged to respect them.

"I promise that you will hear any news first on my Facebook page or the official club website."

Shakhtar chief executive Sergei Palkin told Russian newspaper Izvestia: "Henrikh is an important player in our team. Shakhtar want to keep him but we are willing to listen and consider all proposals for his transfer."

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