Liverpool are in talks to sign Stoke City winger Xherdan Shaqiri and two rising stars could head the other way, according to the Echo.
The regional newspaper claim the Merseyside giants are working on a deal to land Switzerland international Shaqiri as they look to take advantage of a release clause set at around £13.5million.
The Echo report Stoke are hoping that doing business with Liverpool can help them land two of the Premier League giants’ rising stars after registering their interest in wide duo Harry Wilson and Sheyi Ojo.
Good move for Liverpool?
Shaqiri is a fine player who is proven in the Premier League and still only 26 even though he seems to have been around on the European stage forever. He demonstrated for Switzerland at the World Cup that he is a matchwinner on the biggest stages, capable of a moment of magic or scoring a brilliant goal out of nothing. Others have questioned Shaqiri’s character, with pundit Gary Neville among those who were highly critical of his contribution at Stoke last season when the club needed him most. At Liverpool, he would not be expected to carry the attack. Far from it. The player’s first task would be to persuade Jurgen Klopp to give him some game time given the dazzling attackers already in the squad.
This Is Futbol rating 7/10
Likely to happen?
It appears to be only a matter of time before Shaqiri is unveiled as a Liverpool player. This is most likely to be in a fortnight’s time when he returns from holiday after his post-World Cup holiday. It is a deal that has been in the works for a long time, and the only sticking points appear which players, and how many, head the other way on loan.
This Is Futbol rating 9/10