Why Liverpool should sell Xherdan Shaqiri in the summer
As per Swiss German outlet Blick (h/t Liverpool Echo), several clubs including Sevilla are interested in signing Liverpool winger Xherdan Shaqiri in the summer.
Shaqiri, 28, who featured for teams like Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, moved to Stoke City in the summer of 2015 and established himself as one of the best wingers in the Premier League. His impressive performances earned him a move to Anfield, where he featured regularly in the first season.
However, this term, he has struggled with injuries and has not made it beyond 6 games in the league. He hasn’t contributed much in the last two seasons and thus, keeping him would be a waste of resources for Liverpool. He earns £80k-a-week right now.
The Reds have dominated the rest of the teams in the Premier League so far and are on course to lift the title once the season resumes. They are flying high on the success of their attacking trio – Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.
They have been brilliant in every department so far but their inconsistency showed up in the last few weeks before the league got suspended. A loss to Watford and then an exit from the Champions League at the hands of Atletico Madrid has highlighted the need for reinforcements in several key areas.
One area that needs to be strengthened is the right-wing position, which Mohamed Salah has made it his own. The Egyptian has been brilliant for the Reds in the past three years but has not had a proper backup. When the former Chelsea man was injured and out of action for a few games, Shaqiri failed to make use of the opportunity.
The manager then turned towards Divock Origi and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for some time before Takumi Minamino was signed in January. Though they have not performed at their best, they seem to have done a decent job. Thus, it would be wise of the Reds to sell the Swiss international in the summer.
Shaqiri has spent the majority of the season on the sidelines and looks to continue on the bench even after his return to action. He has not been a competition for Salah on the right-wing and would eventually end up on the bench next season too, given his lacklustre performance.
Verdict
If Liverpool are to continue with their dominance in the league, they have to bring in world-class players to their squad. And this can be done only if they sell some of the players who have not contributed enough to claim their place in the team. Therefore, they should part ways with Shaqiri in the summer so that he would make way for fresh faces.
