Liverpool face Alex Teixeira woe; Saido Berahino not going to Newcastle; Diego Costa linked with Chelsea exit

Liverpool have been hit with an ultimatum by Shakhtar Donetsk as the Ukrainian outfit hold out for €70m (£53.2m) for Alex Teixeira - with transfer deadline day on the horizon. The Reds had hoped to negotiate Shakhtar’s initial £38m valuation down, with chief executive Ian Ayre having a key role in the talks, but Jurgen Klopp’s men have reportedly been stunned by the latest figure.

According to the Daily Mirror, Liverpool will now have to stump up even more if they want to prize their primary target to Anfield this month. Shakhtar’s chief executive Sergei Palkin told local television: “Liverpool stopped at the amount of 32m Euros and 4m bonus. This is the last number that was announced. Our position is that we do not want to sell Teixeira today. Teixeira has compensation in his contract and the price is 70m Euros,” Palkin added.

“Please, if someone is going to trigger that let him come and declare himself. Our coach (Mircea Lucescu) wants Teixeira to remain until the end of the season. We must adhere to a common goal.”

Newcastle United have also faced frustration this morning in their pursuit of West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino. The former England under-21s man has been in exile at the Hawthorns as his future remains up in the air. Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace, however, is unwilling to sell to an immediate relegation rival, reports the Express and Star.

Tottenham and Chelsea have also shown an interest in Berahino this January and would be more likely to succeed in luring the £23m-rated striker away, despite personal differences, because the West Brom hierarchy does not consider either to be immediate rivals. Peace will allegedly listen to offers of more than £20million, as long as they’re not from Newcastle.

The West Midlanders’ chairman does not want Berahino’s goals to fuel a surge out of the drop zone, potentially dragging his side into the mire.

open image in gallery

Atletico Madrid will be prepared to lose hitman Jackson Martinez to Chelsea – so long as they get Diego Costa back in return. According to the Sun, manager Diego Simeone is considering an audacious swap deal which would see the combustible Spain international return to the Vicente Calderon.

The Blues, however, are unlikely to do business with the La Liga giants despite Costa’s stuttering form this campaign. Alexandre Pato has recently joined to facilitate the prospective loss of Loic Remy this window but no such plans have been made to replace Costa. While Martinez would more than fit the bill, interim boss Guus Hiddink is unlikely to want more dressing room upheaval.

open image in gallery

Meanwhile, captain John Terry is likely to be offered a coaching role with the Premier League champions once he has hung up his boots. The Times report the Stamford Bridge boardroom are keen to keep the former England captain beyond his current playing contract.

The skipper’s existing deal runs out at the end of the season but there is little fear they will lose Terry to another club in the summer. New terms on a 12-month extension are already being discussed and the centre-back is expected to continue his 19-year career in the capital.