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He was often the first man off the bench for Pep Guardiola's runaway title winners, but for Xherdan Shaqiri, a season as supersub for one of the best—and deepest—clubs in the game doesn't make for a fondly remembered year. Now, unless he can get reassurances he'll see more starting minutes next season, the 22-year-old attacking midfielder wants out of Germany, and he's looking towards England.
"It's clear I cannot continue like this," he said of his current role at Bayern Munich, where he made ten league starts, came off the bench seven times, and had three Champions League substitute appearances. "If nothing changes, I will have to make some changes myself. I want to play in the important games as well, and not just in the Bundesliga. I don't want to go through another year like this."
For Shaqiri, though, it isn't quite as simple as saying he made a disappointing 20 appearances in the league and Champions League, split evenly between starts and coming off the bench. That's because last season saw the player often out injured—he missed 106 days of action and 38 Bayern matches across all competitions. For any potential suitor, that has to be worrying.
Beyond the obvious fitness questions, it also shows something of a disconnect that the player would be frustrated at not being an automatic starter whenever fit for a side as good and deep as Bayern when he so frequently wasn't. Still, if available and seeking a move, Shaqiri remains one of the most promising and talented young attackers in Europe and a player who would improve almost any side.
"I only want to play for a major club," he added. "The Champions League is important to me, but we will see what happens. England would be an option. If I were to leave Bayern, it will be for a foreign club. But it will have to be a club challenging for the title."
In addition to reports from reputable sources suggesting Liverpool are legitimately interested in the player, following Shaqiri's latest talk about moving on from Bayern there have been rumours that Liverpool have or are about to launch a £15M bid for the player.
