Liverpool have missed out on one of their top targets, after Shakhtar Donetsk confirmed the sale of Alex Teixeira to Jiangsu Suning for £38million.
It has been well documented that the Chinese Super League is second only to the English Premier League when it comes to spending, with the likes of Ramires, Gervinho, Fredy Guarin and Jackson Martinez heading to East Asia in big-money deals. And now Teixeira has joined this group, having completed a record £38million move to the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre.
This will come as a blow to Jurgen Klopp, who had identified the 26-year-old for a move to Liverpool during the January transfer window. And although the forward was keen to make the move to Merseyside and the two clubs had undertaken lengthy negotiations, they couldn’t agree a transfer fee as the Ukrainian side refused to lower their asking price of £35million.
It was widely thought that Klopp would return for Teixeira when the window reopens in the summer, but it now appears certain he will have to switch his attentions elsewhere. The Anfield boss knows he must boost his attacking options ahead of the 2016-17 season, especially if reports that the injury-prone Daniel Sturridge wants to leave the club are to be believed.
The England international has once more spent more time on the treatment table than the pitch in recent months, and the Daily Mirror claim he feels he needs a fresh start for the good of his career. The tabloid goes on to suggest the 26-year-old could be of interest to former club Chelsea, as well as capital rivals Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
