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Revealed: Liverpool confident of agreeing £30million deal 'within days'
By North-west correspondent Alex Stevens
Liverpool are confident of wrapping up a deal for Shakhtar Dontesk playmaker Alex Teixeira by the end of the week, Football Insider sources understand.
A Liverpool delegation led by chief executive Ian Ayre have flown to Florida for talks about signing the star in the January window.
The Merseysiders are willing to pay £24.6million for Teixeira, but Shakhtar are holding out for a fee closer to £40million.
Despite the disparity in valuations, a Liverpool source has told Football Insider that there is confidence among the parties involved that a deal can be struck “within days”.
Ayre and senior Liverpool officials will meet with counterparts from Dontesk at the Ukranian club’s winter training camp in the USA for face-to-face talks.
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Manager Jurgen Klopp wants attacking reinforcements after losing three of the team’s four senior strikers to injury for most of his reign and due to the ongoing difficulties experienced by Christian Benteke.
Teixeira is an attacking midfielder who can play in all three positions behind the centre-forward and is renowned for his eye for goal.
Advance party: Ian Ayre (far right) has led a Liverpool delegation to Florida for Teixeira talks
He has scored a staggering 22 goals in 15 league matches this season, and has struck 26 times in 26 appearances in all competitions for the Ukranian club.
Teixeira is not yet a full Brazil international but he has scored three goals in seven games for the country’s Under-20s.
Teixeira joined Shakhtar Donetsk from Vasco Da Gama in 2010 -and has been persistently linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.
As revealed by Football Insider, Chelsea have have been in contact with Teixeira’s representatives and have offered a contract to the prolific attacking midfielder.
But the Londoners have been unable to agree terms with the Brazilian sensation and have turned their attention to landing his countryman Alexandre Pato.