Liverpool have £28m bid rejected for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Alex Teixeira

Liverpool have had a £28m ($40m) bid for Alex Teixeira rejected by Shakhtar Donetsk, with the Reds still unable to meet the Ukranian club's valuation for the Brazilian play-maker. Jurgen Klopp has earmarked that position as one for revision at the Merseyside club, who are desperate to bring in Teixeira to alleviate that void in the middle of the park.

The Daily Mail reports that the 26-year-old is willing to make the move to Anfield but Shakhtar are still deliberating on their £38m ($54m) valuation of the player, something that Liverpool have refused to match so far. Chelsea were also interested in signing the player, but have moved out of the race now, allowing the Reds a clean shot at their top target this summer.

Klopp has maintained that he does not want his team to pay over the top for any player this January, but may have to rethink his strategy if he has to have any chance of closing a deal with the midfielder. Teixeira has already told Shakhtar of his desire to leave but the club are adamant that the Brazilian will only move at the right price.

This is Liverpool's second offer which has been rejected by Shakhtar, with director Ian Ayre making a £24.5m ($34m) offer to the Ukrainian officials in Miami last week. The midfielder has scored 22 goals in only 15 league starts thus far and will add some much needed potency to the Reds' attack that has been struggling to score goals off late.

Injuries to key players has also been a major factor in their inability to gather points, losing against Manchester United at Anfield despite being in control for major part of the fixture. Wayne Rooney punished the Reds for their profligacy with a well taken shot from a corner routine, opening up a six-point different between the two teams. Teixeira will be Klopp's second signing in the January transfer window, having already brought in Steven Caulker on loan from QPR to mollify the injury crisis in defence.