Rumoured Liverpool Target Delivers Match-Winning World Cup Performance

Despite recent attention shifting to alleged splashier moves elsewhere by Michael Edwards and the Reds transfer team, attacking depth recruitment is still a need for next season. Such that that, divisive though he might be among Liverpool supporters, Xherdan Shaqiri has been reliably-linked with a move to Anfield this summer.

With a paltry £12m signing clause the only thing standing between the Stoke City winger and any potential transfer, Shaqiri represents an un-sexy, but affordable, Premier League-proven option who could possibly be a shrewd bit of business in the vein of the Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain transfer of yesteryear.

To that point, the 26-year-old has been inclined to strut his wares as the star man for Switzerland in the World Cup, providing a boost to his candidacy with a sterling performance in the Swiss’ group play matchup with Serbia. Starting nominally on the wing but drifting into an almost #10 role, the ex-Bayern Munich man was at the heart of many of Switzerland’s attacking moves, picking the ball up in central areas and driving at the backpedaling Serbian defense.

His persistence was eventually rewarded when his deflected shot bounced to Arsenals’s Granit Xhaka to strike for Swiss’ opener, followed quickly by a swiveling, off-balance 20-yard blast off the post that would’ve been a goal of the tournament contender had it gone in.

Known in his home country as the Magical Dwarf, the winger saved his best trick for last. With the score tied 1-1, time running out and Serbia pouring forward in search of a goal, Shaqiri showed strength to shrug off his marker on a 90^th minute counter attack and slot past Vladimir Stojković for the match winner.

The victory moved Switzerland into second in Group E behind Brazil, putting the Nati in prime position to advance to the knockout stages.

That Power Cube not looking too bad, eh?