You'll have plenty to celebrate when you subscribe to the Liverpool FC newsletter Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

There is little more Alex Teixeira can do to try to force through a move to Liverpool.

The prolific Shakhtar Donetsk attacker has spent the past week nailing his colours to the mast after the Reds tabled an offer of £24.5million.

“It would be an honour to wear the Liverpool shirt,” said Teixeira, who insisted his agent is “doing everything possible” to get him to Anfield.

However, the reality is that the Brazilian's hopes of being part of Jurgen Klopp's squad when the transfer window shuts at 11pm on Monday night are fading fast.

Liverpool are no closer to securing the services of Teixeira and time is starting to run out.

Talks with the Ukrainian outfit have continued since Reds chief executive Ian Ayre flew home from the initial round of negotiations held at Shakhtar’s winter training camp in Florida last week.

But for all the ongoing speculation, little progress has been made and Liverpool have yet to officially increase their bid.

The reason why is that Shakhtar remain adamant that Teixeira is going nowhere unless their asking price of 50million Euros (£38million) is met in full.

With Liverpool unwilling to pay that kind of money for an uncapped 26-year-old, the deal has reached an impasse.

It would now take a serious change of heart from either side for the deadlock to be broken.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

“I don't want to keep a player against his desire,” said Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu this week - but added ominously: “Our president knows when it is the time for Teixeira to go.”

Billionaire businessman Rinat Akhmetov is unlikely to back down.

He has shown a willingness to sell Shakhtar's star names in recent years with the likes of Fernandinho (Manchester City) and Douglas Costa (Bayern Munich) moving on but only on his terms.

With Shakhtar's title race with Dynamo Kyiv set to resume in early March, it suits Akhmetov to keep hold of Teixeira, who is under contract until 2018, until the summer in the knowledge his list of suitors is likely to grow.

Despite reaching the Capital One Cup final this week, the Reds' season remains in desperate need of an injection of firepower. Strikers Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi and Danny Ings are all sidelined, while top scorer Christian Benteke is out of favour.

With 26 goals in 25 games in all competitions this season, Teixeira looked the perfect fit for Liverpool.

Ayre will inevitably be the target of some fans' frustration if the deal doesn't get done. But he's just one member of the transfer committee who put a valuation on targets.

Despite his desire to get Teixeira on board, Klopp is understood to be at ease with the club's position. The manager shares the belief that shelling out £38million would be paying over the odds and represent too great a gamble.

“I am a normal, smart guy so why should I throw away money?,” Klopp said recently. “We have money but we are not in Disneyland and say ‘come on, take what you want’.”

The manner in which Teixeira spoke out this week should have struck a chord with Liverpool fans.

It was reminiscent of how Luis Suarez tried to get himself to Arsenal in 2013 and how Raheem Sterling fluttered his eye-lashes at Manchester City in 2015.

Only Sterling got his wish granted as a result of Liverpool finally receiving an offer they believed was too good to turn down.

With Liverpool having previously dug their heels in to ensure they got the best price for their biggest assets, they can hardly have any complaints about Shakhtar doing the same.

“I want to be there, I can only hope,” Teixeira said.

It would take a dramatic and unlikely development for the Brazilian to get his wish between now and Monday night.