
Xherdan Shaqiri has an uncertain future at Liverpool after falling down the pecking order while struggling for fitness. The 29-year-old has spent three years at Liverpool without nailing down a starting place and the reality is Jurgen Klopp has better and more reliable players in his position.
As a result, Liverpool have placed Shaqiri up for sale this summer and Gianluca Di Marzio says the £80k-per-week Swiss international is nearing an exit. Olympique Lyonnais have made an offer of €6m (£5.1m) which is short of the Reds’ €8m (£6.8m) asking price, but it’s believed a deal will get over the line.
Inconsistent, injury and a lack of playing time
Shaqiri joined Liverpool from Stoke City for £13m in 2018 and has gone on to make 63 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals with nine assists. The 29-year-old made 30 appearances across the board in his debut season at Anfield but has only managed 32 appearances in the two years that followed, scoring only twice with a meagre four assists.
Shaqiri amassed only 551 minutes of Premier League football last season and found himself behind Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Takumi Minamino in the pecking order, so the writing was on the wall. The Swiss international couldn’t avoid injuries, so he spent a lot of time on the sidelines.
Liverpool to take £20m hit from Shaqiri sale
The Reds will take a hefty loss on the 5ft 5 in man, as they could be selling him for £8m less than what they paid three years ago. Liverpool have been covering his £4.16m-a-year wages since 2018 too – £12.5m in total – so they’re set to lose £20m.
Lyon are £1m off from reaching an agreement with Liverpool, so Shaqiri may have played his final game for the Reds. He looked a shrewd signing back in 2018 as the Reds were lacking able squad players, but injuries kept him sidelined for lengthy periods
Summary
Liverpool are right to sell Shaqiri. The Swiss international hasn’t lived up to his potential in recent years and isn’t better than his competition, so any money they can make back is a plus.
