Dortmund beat Liverpool and Spurs to £20m-rated playmaker Mkhitaryan

Brendan Rodgers' rebuilding programme at Liverpool has been dealt a crushing blow after key target Henrikh Mkhitaryan announced he was joining Borussia Dortmund for £20million.

Liverpool boss Rodgers was pinning his hopes on winning a straight battle with Dortmund for Mkhitaryan after identifying his goal threat from midfield as the vital ingredient for a concerted push for honours next season.

But Sportsmail understands the 24-year old Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder has not only made up his mind to join last season's Champions League runners-up but has informed Anfield bosses of his decision.

Won the battle: Dortmund have managed to beat Liverpool and Spurs to Henrikh Mkhitaryan



The only hurdle to be cleared concerns the fee, with Shakhtar initially rejecting Dortmund's €23million bid and hoping Liverpool's interest might drive the price up towards £26m.

But with Mkhitaryan's contract containing a £19m escape clause, and the player adamant he is heading for the Bundesliga, they are in no position to hold out for more than Dortmund have already offered.

Insiders at the Westfalenstadion concede they may have to add a further one or two million euros to the amount on the table but are adamant the deal will go through next week, with Mkhitaryan signing an agreement for either four or five years. In demand: The Champions League finalists went all out to bag the classy playmaker

Dortmund and Liverpool both offered contract terms to the free-scoring midfielder, and he initially asked for time to consider his decision.



But the lure of Champions League football, and a sales pitch from Jurgen Klopp that he would be the ideal replacement for new Bayern Munich signing Mario Gotze, proved decisive and left Rodgers frustrated in his search for more firepower.





