After what seemed a long time in the making, Borussia Dortmund have managed to get their man by securing the services of Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Armenian international was the number one target of Liverpool but has apparently chosen to join a team that will offer him Champions League football for next season. The talented midfielder joins BVB as a replacement for German international Mario Gotze who made a switch of Bayern Munich. 

Dortmund’s sporting director, Michael Zorc revealed that the team is still working on the final points of the transfer and indeed Sueddeutsche Zeitung was right when it called the deal as “The most difficult transfer ever done by a German club”

Historically, German sides do not like to stretch deals for a long time and if things are prolonged, they would rather look elsewhere. However, that was not the case with Borussia Dortmund who have shown a lot of patience so far in this particular transfer. 

 

Mkhitaryan’s transfer rights are held by three different parties which makes everything complicated and it would not be strange if Zorc heaves a sigh of relief after an official announcement is made. 

A relatively unknown quantity in most parts of Europe, many people would wonder just why BVB were so keen on showing unlimited amount of patience for Mkhitaryan. Not many clubs would go way off the limits to sign a player who is not a very recognised footballer in Europe. 

However, Mkhitaryan is no ordinary player. Despite playing as an attacking midfielder, Mkhitaryan is well known in Eastern Europe for scoring goals in a ratio that any striker would be proud of. This year, the 24-year-old scored 14 goals in 13 games for Shakhtar in the Ukrainian Premier League as his stature in Ukraine started to grow. 

A two footed player with great control in close areas, Mkhitaryan has the ability to make decisive passes and has an eye for goal which is why he is a top-class player who could perfectly fill the void that has been formed following the departure of Gotze. 

Jurgen Klopp was going to tinker his attacking four during the next season. Many analysts in Germany even talked up the possibility of evolving Ilkay Gundogan into the number 10 role. However, it appears that Klopp will not have to make a lot of changes frequently because just like Gotze, Mkhitaryan is at his best when he is put behind the striker. 

Mkhitaryan’s phenomenal work rate is another of his traits which makes him an excellent midfielder. Apart from his attacking duties which he commendably performs, the Armenian international also has a tendency to track back and contribute towards his defensive obligations. In short, Mkhitaryan is the kind of player who will keep on running until the whistle blows. 

Another thing that sums up Mkhitaryan is that the Armenian has an incredible burst of pace. Combined with his ability to run defences ragged, the midfielder is exactly the kind of player BVB need. 

All in all, BVB are nearing the end of what has been nothing short of a soap opera that Mkhitaryan’s transfer has been, only time will tell whether the former Shakhtar man was worth all the hassle.