Liverpool are on the cusp of signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan after agreeing a £25m fee with Shakhtar for the player, express.co.uk reports.

The Armenian playmaker has been sounded for a move to Anfield in the past few weeks, as the Reds brace themselves for Luis Suarez's seemingly inevitable departure.

He has also been on Borussia Dortmund's radar, and has been made available for sale after he failed to report for pre-season training.

His manager Mircea Lucescu urged the 24-year-old to snub Liverpool, telling Ukranian publication Terrikon: ""I can understand the urge to leave if he has a chance to go to a club that surpasses Shakhtar, like Barcelona or Real Madrid, but not many clubs are beyond our level - not clubs like Liverpool or Tottenham."

But it seems Liverpool have made a significant breakthrough, with a report in Russian paper Sport Express saying Liverpool will make an official statement in the next few days. They also note he will fly to Liverpool to undergo a medical and join up with his new teammates.