Liverpool Signal Interest in Signing Xherdan Shaqiri

The Stoke player has a bargain £12M release clause and Liverpool are looking to preserve money for other purchases.

Liverpool have already signed Fabinho to shore up the midfield anchor role, have Naby Keïta officially arriving to improve their box-to-box options in midfield, and are looking to sign Nabil Fekir to fill the hole in the squad left when Philippe Coutinho departed.

Those are three big money moves, and with a goalkeeper also expected to arrive—at the very least to take Simon Mignolet’s place in the squad and possibly to unseat Loris Karius—some wondered if that would mean shopping for a bargain to add depth to the attack.

Yesterday’s reliable links to £10M rated 22-year-old Nigerian international Moses Simon and today a wave of reports from club-connected journalists that Liverpool are legitimately interested in triggering Xherdan Shaqiri’s £12M release clause seem to give a solid answer.

Liverpool need forward depth, a player to provide an option and allow Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané to rest now and again, but with the club spending big at other positions any player brought in to fill that role is likely to be a bargain signing rather than a blockbuster.

The 26-year-old Shaqiri was part of a Stoke squad that underperformed massively, and that as well as the fact that his career has stagnated in recent years cannot be ignored. For only £12M and to allow funds to be focused elsewhere, though, it’s an intriguing option.

And with the likes of Joe.com’s Melissa Reddy, The Times’ Paul Joyce, and The Mail’s Dominic King reporting Liverpool’s interest as legitimate, it’s safe to take this transfer news at face value. Shaqiri’s other reported suitors are said to be Everton and Southampton.

In addition to the signing of a bargain depth forward option, Liverpool are also expected to give Harry Wilson a chance to earn a first team role backing up Salah and Mané next season before making a final call on where he will go for the 2018-19 season.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com