Alex Teixeira to Liverpool: Who is the Shakhtar Donetsk forward Jurgen Klopp is ready to bid £24.6m for?

The Reds have joined Chelsea in the race to sign the Brazilian forward but face a battle to get their man

Alex Teixeira (Getty)

Liverpool joined the race to sign Shakhtar Donetsk forward Alex Teixeira this morning - with a £24.6m bid - in a dramatic effort to sidestep Chelsea in the transfer market.

The Reds have an unenviable track record of locking horns with their Premier League foes in the pursuit of exciting talent. Invariably, they often fall short.

Willian elected to join the Blues, for £30m, from under Brendan Rodgers’ nose in 2013 before Alexis Sanchez chose Arsenal over a move to Anfield 12 months later.

Now Ian Ayre, the chief executive, has been tasked with luring Teixeira to Merseyside as Jürgen Klopp tries to alleviate the strain put on his injury-ravaged squad. Bagging 22 goals in just 15 league games (26 in 26 all comps) this season, it's no wonder Europe's biggest clubs have had their heads turned.

The 26-year-old’s rise from promising Vasco da Gama academy product to being a leading light in European football has been a gradual one. After scoring 11 goals in 51 appearances for his childhood club, Shakhtar’s offer of €6m (£4.6m), seven years ago, proved too tempting to turn down.

Teixeira, meanwhile, was concurrently climbing the Brazil youth ladder, making appearances for the under-15s, under-17s and under-20s sides, but is yet to be given a chance with Dunga’s seniors. A move to England would likely be greeted well by the Brazilian Football Confederation.

Since joining Shakhtar in 2009, the Duque de Caxias-born forward has lifted five Premier Division titles, three Ukrainian Cups and the same number of Ukrainian Super Cups. In short, Teixeira is no stranger to the expectations which come with representing big clubs. Both Liverpool and Chelsea, however, come with their unique challenges.

Having played alongside Willian before the latter’s subsequent switch to Stamford Bridge, many assumed a move to Chelsea was inevitable once the Blues revealed their interest this month. The Klopp-effect, however, isn’t to be underestimated.

Having previously dented Chelsea’s Champions League hopes, with the opener in a 2-1 group stage victory in 2013, his talents are already known to English scouts. Mircea Lucescu, the Shakhtar boss, has since carried himself with the demeanour of a man who appears consigned to losing another of his star players.

"If there is an offer that will satisfy both player and the club I will fully support his move," said Lucescu recently.

"At the moment, Alex is Shakhtar's player. We'll see in the summer, now there's no point talking about it. This year, he needs to play so that he grows even more, despite the fact that Alex's level is very high even today.

"I want to see my players perform in the best, top teams in Europe. This means that both my assistants and I have not been working in vain for so many years.

"We signed players, who were 17-19, and brought them to the level of the top clubs. I wonder how many coaches in Europe are working based on such a scheme?"

According to reports in the Times and the Guardian, Ayre has flown out to the United States of America to clinch a deal which would represent Klopp’s first major foray into the market as Liverpool boss.

Teixeira has scored 67 goals in 146 appearances for Shakhtar across a five-year spell. Belgium international Christian Benteke, meanwhile, is the Reds’ top goalscorer this season with six strikes to his name.

Liverpool fans know to be wary when transfer news emerges from Anfield’s corridors, for disappointment usually follows the initial sense of optimism. But Teixeira is at least a player who merits the inevitable emotional turmoil.