Rumour Mongering: Former Red Shaqiri Heading to MLS

When Xherdan Shaqiri moved from Liverpool to Olympique Lyonnais this past summer, nobody would have ever imagined that he would be signing with a Major League Soccer club just six months later. According to MLS writer Tom Bogert though, that is exactly what’s about to happen.

Bogert reported today that he learned from a source that the Chicago Fire are nearing a €6.5 million deal for the 30-year-old winger. If the deal is finalized, Shaqiri would join the Fire as a designated player, meaning his salary would not count toward’s the league’s salary cap.

While Shaqiri hasn’t been a flop at Lyon, it seems likely he may not be entirely happy with the situation there if he was hoping to be a regular starter. He got off to a hot start for the French side, scoring a goal and assisting another in his first three Ligue 1 appearances and earning a run of starts. However, he has often been left on the bench as an unused sub since October.

Shaqiri has often been relegated to a role as a support player since his 2018 move from Stoke City to Liverpool. So, it’s hard to blame him if he wants a move to a league where he will not only be a key member of his own team, but also one of the league’s marquee players.

It would give him the chance to impact matches as the focal point of his team’s attack, a role he has often thrived in during his international career with Switzerland, even as his role diminished while playing club football.

It remains to be seen if the Fire and Lyon will get the deal across the line, but with multiple sources now apparently confirming a deal will be done in a matter of days, it seems likely to happen.