The Liverpool Offside - Full Coverage: Liverpool Sign Xherdan ShaqiriZeppeline, Trinken, & Pink Badeshortshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51345/ltos-fav.png2018-07-13T21:51:59+01:00http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/rss/stream/173325272018-07-13T21:51:59+01:002018-07-13T21:51:59+01:00Xherdan Shaqiri to Wear Number 23 at Anfield
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<figcaption>Liverpool FC via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Xherdan Shaqiri has selected to wear the #23 shirt for Liverpool FC.</p> <p id="og1mxj"><span>Xherdan Shaqiri</span> has officially been announced as the newest signing for <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> Football Club and in his first set of press photos as a Red reveal that he will be sporting the number 23 at Anfield this coming season. Shaqiri has used that same number as a member of the Swiss National Team, most recently in the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/fifa-world-cup">World Cup</a>.</p>
<p id="IGL9OD">Shaqiri’s signing represents a good depth and rotational piece for the club. Coming into the offseason, one of the items on the LFC to-do list was to find depth on the wing and Shaqiri is precisely that. Traditionally having spent his time on the right, he likely represents a rotational option for Salah as well as an option off the bench when fresh legs might help to unlock a stubborn defense. </p>
<aside id="17J7ap"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Official: Liverpool Sign Xherdan Shaqiri","url":"https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-transfer-news/2018/7/13/17569824/official-liverpool-fc-transfer-news-sign-xherdan-shaqiri-stoke-city-13m"},{"title":"Transfer Scouting: Xherdan Shaqiri","url":"https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2018/7/13/17560490/transfer-scouting-report-xherdan-shaqiri-liverpool-summer-2018-13m-signing-stoke-city-bayern-basel"}]}'></div></aside><p id="eD6GYk">Unlikely to unseat anyone in the front three, Shaqiri will have work to do to find a regular place beyond the substitute’s bench, but is, at least to this scribe, well-suited to that role. The loan potential for finding space immediately in the starting XI would be to fill a similar role as Alexander Oxlade-Chamberlain as the furthest forward in the midfield three. It’s not a position that Shaqiri is necessarily known for, but his skillset coupled with the need would mean there’s at leas the potential for him to see some time in that role.</p>
<p id="2m7lGL">Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, had nothing but bright things to say and even tipped to Shaqiri’s versatility as one of the reasons he was so keen to bring him in.</p>
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<p id="mz49hU">“From our perspective, he is someone who makes a big difference to the squad and team, because he can fit in so many positions in our system. He gives us greater flexibility in how we can use our current players also. This is cool.</p>
<p id="w8ayEH">“I know him well from his time in Switzerland and especially Germany – I have been a long-time admirer. But the added bonus now is that he knows the Premier League and what it takes to perform in this uniquely intense environment. He also did really well at the World Cup – so he comes to us full of belief and confidence.”</p>
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<p id="BL3aNa">Well, it’s now official-official and Reds fans can now shift their focus to debating where Shaqiri will fit and how he might fare at Anfield. Welcome to Merseyside, Xherdan! </p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-transfer-news/2018/7/13/17570050/xherdan-shaqiri-liverpool-number-23-new-transfer-signing-summer-2018-13m-stoke-switzerlandAJ Joven2018-07-13T21:13:38+01:002018-07-13T21:13:38+01:00Official: Liverpool Sign Xherdan Shaqiri
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<figcaption>Liverpool FC via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Switzerland and Stoke City winger arrives in a £13M deal.</p> <p id="njJEHi"><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> have officially announced their third arrival and second signing of the summer with the unveiling of Switzerland and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/stoke-city">Stoke City</a> winger <span>Xherdan Shaqiri</span>, who arrives on Merseyside in a £13M deal following a strong showing for his country at the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/fifa-world-cup">World Cup</a>.</p>
<p id="v4Jmwy">Shaqiri, now 26, has gone from one of the most promising young players in the game at Basel to an at times frustrating but clearly talented prospect at Bayern Munich to a rather disappointing part of a very bad Stoke City. At Anfield, he’ll be looking to set things right.</p>
<p id="1WQPzY">If he can rediscover the talent and potential he once had—and has shown in glimpses with the national team throughout his career—he could yet make a mark in club football, and a talented, uptempo Liverpool side will give him perhaps his last good opportunity at that.</p>
<aside id="Tcy9br"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Transfer Scouting: Xherdan Shaqiri","url":"https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2018/7/13/17560490/transfer-scouting-report-xherdan-shaqiri-liverpool-summer-2018-13m-signing-stoke-city-bayern-basel"},{"title":"Xherdan Shaqiri to Wear Number 23 at Anfield","url":"https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-transfer-news/2018/7/13/17570050/xherdan-shaqiri-liverpool-number-23-new-transfer-signing-summer-2018-13m-stoke-switzerland"}]}'></div></aside><p id="QvF8Cs">It’s not a sure thing, though, and for all the hope he brings with him, there are at least as many doubts. Still, for £13M it’s hard to say he doesn’t provide value—and a clear upgrade on the club’s options at the position behind Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané.</p>
<p id="bWgTls">“I think the English phrase to explain the decision to sign Xherdan is a ‘no-brainer,’” Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.liverpoolfc.com%2Fnews%2Ffirst-team%2F307047-shaqiri-liverpool-fc-signing-jurgen-klopp&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fliverpooloffside.sbnation.com%2Fliverpool-fc-transfer-news%2F2018%2F7%2F13%2F17569824%2Fofficial-liverpool-fc-transfer-news-sign-xherdan-shaqiri-stoke-city-13m" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">said</a> following Shaqiri’s official unveiling. “When someone like him becomes available in this way you have to react if you are smart—and we have.”</p>
<p id="aZhtQW">“We are the perfect move for him in this moment as well I think, because he needs to push himself and challenge himself and our environment encourages that. We want him to express himself but also learn and improve the areas of his game where he can still make progression.</p>
<p id="JUINpX">“From our perspective, he is someone who makes a big difference to the squad and team, because he can fit in so many positions in our system. He gives us greater flexibility in how we can use our current players also. This is cool.”</p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/XS23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#XS23</a> <a href="https://t.co/HhnFVBAoJy">pic.twitter.com/HhnFVBAoJy</a></p>— Liverpool FC (@LFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LFC/status/1017860704345477120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2018</a>
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https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-transfer-news/2018/7/13/17569824/official-liverpool-fc-transfer-news-sign-xherdan-shaqiri-stoke-city-13mNoel Chomyn2018-07-13T21:00:01+01:002018-07-13T21:00:01+01:00Swiss National Team Confirm Xherdan Shaqiri to Liverpool Deal Done
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<img alt="Sweden v Switzerland: Round of 16 - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MEMi7tBDXFT6l06AFQw7URFvABs=/0x159:2056x1530/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60363187/992651550.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Caption this. | Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Swiss National Team did the fan base a solid ANNOUNCE-ing Shaqiri as the next signing for Jürgen Klopp’s LFC side.</p> <p id="4TEFy4">In the age of Twitter users taking aim at the accounts of John Henry and Michael Edwards to ANNOUNCE [PLAYER X], we got a rare treat: a major account not tied to <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> Football Club decided to announce a transfer.</p>
<p id="iqx7cS">Today, the Swiss National Team’s Twitter released a statement that confirmed the smoke swirling around the rumored transfer of <span>Xherdan Shaqiri</span> is for real and it’s a done deal. This is all obviously pending an official announcement from the club, but if there were ever any real doubts, Liverpool fans can now begin to envision a squad that will include Shaqiri as part of it moving forward.</p>
<p id="PoIoiY">Shaqiri is coming off an impressive <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/fifa-world-cup">World Cup</a> run in which his performances were integral to seeing the Swiss team out of the group stages and into the Round of 16. Unfortunately, they were unable to break down an impressively disciplined Swedish team, but the fact remains that Shaqiri was front-and-center to all of positive things for the Swiss. </p>
<p id="P9PmDV">As to how The Power Cube will fare in the Liverpool squad, there seems to be a bit of a split among LFC fandom. It’s been some time, for example, since Shaqiri burst on the scene as a young talent, with a middling stop at Bayern and an unconvincing stint at <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/stoke-city">Stoke City</a> to his name. He undoubtedly still possesses some of the physical traits that will necessarily make him valuable in a system as demanding as Jurgen Klopp’s. And with Alexander Oxlade-Chamberlain being sidelined due to injury, he will at least provide flexible depth on the wing and perhaps as the most advanced center midfielder in a midfield three.</p>
<p id="LaZS14">I am hopeful for Shaqiri to bed in quickly and to maybe recreate the Ox signing in turning skeptics like me into true believers before all is said and done. Thanks in large part to the string of successful hits under Edwards and Klopp, there’s at least reason to be optimistic about turning Shaqiri’s potential into something tangible. </p>
<p id="2Sj14W">At any rate, here’s the Swiss Team holding down announcing duties until we get that final, official confirmation from the club itself:</p>
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<p lang="de" dir="ltr">Nationalspieler Xherdan Shaqiri wechselt zum Liverpool FC <a href="https://t.co/3E2KRpuyaV">https://t.co/3E2KRpuyaV</a></p>— nationalteams_SFVASF (@SFV_ASF) <a href="https://twitter.com/SFV_ASF/status/1017814963707170817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2018</a>
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https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-transfer-news/2018/7/13/17569250/liverpool-fc-transfer-news-shaqiri-stoke-anfield-swiss-national-team-anfield-jurgen-kloppAJ Joven2018-07-13T15:00:02+01:002018-07-13T15:00:02+01:00Transfer Scouting: Xherdan Shaqiri
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<figcaption>Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Is Liverpool’s new player a great bargain or a great signing? Get to know Xherdan Shaqiri a little bit better.</p> <p id="lkcT19"><span>Xherdan Shaqiri</span> is set to be <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a>’s third new arrival and second signing of the summer following the completion of his move from <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/stoke-city">Stoke City</a> in a deal worth around £13M. He is, no matter who you ask, at least a good value signing and upgrade on the club’s current options on the wing not named Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané. Beyond that, it’s fair to say there’s some disagreement. We let Tito and Noel both dig into the scouting report, along the way explaining why this signing is either a great one or just a smart one.</p>
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<h1 id="S2XMCT"><strong>Xherdan Shaqiri</strong></h1>
<h5 id="aY7X4M">Winger<br>DOB: 10/10/91 (26 years old) | Height: 5’7” (169cm)<br>2017/18: 38 appearances | 8 goals | 7 assists</h5>
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<p id="LTIFaJ"><strong>Strengths (Tito): </strong>While some in the Liverpool fanbase might say Shaqiri’s greatest strength is his bargain price tag, one somehow lower than the fee Jordan Ibe was sold for, the Swiss attacker does in fact bring a number of needed attributes to the table.</p>
<p id="KlVCHK">One key feature is his long-range striking. Since arriving in the Premier League in 2015, only <span>Philippe Coutinho</span> and <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a>’s Kevin De Bruyne have scored more goals from outside the box. For all their abilities, few in the current Liverpool side possess this key attribute. A powerful left foot that can come on late against tiring legs and threaten from range against sides that sit deep is a skill set that was missed when Liverpool were chasing the game last season, especially following the January departure of Coutinho. </p>
<p id="5M6IBZ">Another plus is the 26-year-old’s impressive tendency towards end product. With the preseason sales of Marko Arnautovic and Bojan leaving Shaqiri as Stoke’s sole source of both creativity and goals, it can’t be ignored that he was Stoke’s one true attacking threat, and one could almost count the nominal winger’s 15 goal contributions last season twice for the degree of difficulty required to get such a woeful Stoke side to occasionally put the ball in the back of the other team’s net.</p>
<p id="4C4YUm">Going back a bit further in his career shows he also has excelled in the super sub role, when he hasn’t been asked to carry the entire team, somehow consistently averaging a goal every 90 to 100 minutes while stuck behind the likes of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, and Thomas Muller at Bayern Munich between 2012-13 and 2014-15.</p>
<p id="Z6zcZK">These two features, his long-range striking and his end product numbers, along with that self belief that made him think he could displace Arjen Robben, make it easy to see why Shaqiri has “super sub” written all over him, and he’d be an excellent buy at twice the price.</p>
<p id="lcA86f"><strong>Weaknesses (Noel): </strong>Despite being a winger with a bit of a reputation for pace, Shaqiri isn’t actually as fast as people tend to think, at least not over longer distances. His short-burst acceleration isn’t anything to sniff at, but he’s not a player who’s going to stretch a high line or offer the kind of vertical threat as the two players he’ll be backing up—in fact, while many are going to be tempted to compare him to <span>Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain</span> given both arrived at the club with question marks looking to revive their careers, Shaqiri doesn’t have the pace to keep up with the former <a href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal</a> man in a race.</p>
<p id="1br2fd">He also, at least based on what was seen of him in his time at Stoke, doesn’t have Oxlade-Chamberlain’s work-rate and innate competitive drive—while many fans were fond following his signing of a clip of Oxlade-Chamberain frustrated, gesturing at his Arsenal teammates when they refused to press with him, the Shaqiri seen at Stoke was the sort of player he would have been gesturing at in frustration.</p>
<p id="dwGKmu">Some of that of course might be down to the situation he found himself in, from one of Europe’s top young prospects to mired in a relegation battle as part of an awful side, but in all the talk of how Klopp tends to get the best out of players it’s worth remembering Shaqiri isn’t some promising, misused prospect—he’s into what should be his best years, at a time when most attacking players are considered the final product. </p>
<p id="qlv6i7">And for all the promise Shaqiri once had and that so many people still have in the back of their minds when they think of him, he’s a player who showed an awful lot less fight and determination in his three years at Stoke than he will need to show to succeed in any capacity with Liverpool. Maybe Klopp can fix him, maybe having better players around him will bring out his best, and maybe a last best chance at a big club will motivate him. But all of that is a very fair—and big—question mark.</p>
<aside id="J62qzJ"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Official: Liverpool Sign Xherdan Shaqiri","url":"https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-transfer-news/2018/7/13/17569824/official-liverpool-fc-transfer-news-sign-xherdan-shaqiri-stoke-city-13m"},{"title":"Xherdan Shaqiri to Wear Number 23 at Anfield","url":"https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-transfer-news/2018/7/13/17570050/xherdan-shaqiri-liverpool-number-23-new-transfer-signing-summer-2018-13m-stoke-switzerland"}]}'></div></aside><p id="AIxwrZ"><strong>Summary (Tito): </strong>Shaqiri has experienced quite a lot in his short career. He’s been the main man as well as super sub; he’s excelled for his country and ridden the bench. Now, in the prime of his career, he wants to win trophies. </p>
<p id="htHDdo">The lack of any concerted interest in attacking alternatives such as Malcolm and Christian Pulisic so desired by Liverpool supporters seems proof that the Swiss was identified early as the perfect option to rotate with the front three next season, and if Jürgen Klopp believes he has figured out what cons of Shaqiri’s can be chalked up to circumstance, environment, and bad luck, that’s a reason to hope for the best.</p>
<p id="ziUJnA">The underlying ability and maybe even requisite character is there, despite the canceling effect hasty career choices have had on its trajectory. The diminutive winger possess the sort self-belief that saw him try work his way into the likes of Bayern and Inter before he was ready, and while many Reds and Potters fans will knock his attitude, Shaqiri is nevertheless older and wiser than he was when he made those choices—and would appear to have also passed the <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.liverpoolfc.com%2Fnews%2Ffirst-team%2F303603-jurgen-klopp-fabinho-liverpool-fc&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fliverpooloffside.sbnation.com%2Fliverpool-fc-tactics-longform%2F2018%2F7%2F13%2F17560490%2Ftransfer-scouting-report-xherdan-shaqiri-liverpool-summer-2018-13m-signing-stoke-city-bayern-basel" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">famous Klopp personality requirement</a>.</p>
<p id="wXW5gv">For a player who ticks this many boxes and for this low a price, there’s no question this is an outstanding transfer.</p>
<p id="onqtYI"><strong>Summary(Noel): </strong>There are good reasons to doubt Shaqiri will turn out to be a signing who can make a major difference for Liverpool, and you’d have to go back eight years to his time at Basel to find the player everyone hopes he can now, rather belatedly, become at Anfield.</p>
<p id="gu5Jzy">For the fee, though, it’s more than worth the gamble—even if joining up with Klopp doesn’t get the best out of him, he stands a marked improvement on any wing options Liverpool currently have to bring off the bench. He may not be as fast as people think, and he may not be the young player with so much promise who made the switch to Bayern, but he’s cheap and he’ll improve the squad.</p>
<p id="N4K9jO">And, once upon a time, he <em>was</em> that player who made the switch to Bayern Munich with the football world convinced he was destined for greatness. It’s a long shot, certainly, but just maybe that talented young player is in there somewhere and it’s not too late for Xherdan Shaqiri to come good on his promise.</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2018/7/13/17560490/transfer-scouting-report-xherdan-shaqiri-liverpool-summer-2018-13m-signing-stoke-city-bayern-baselNoel ChomynO.T. Obaisi2018-07-13T13:30:01+01:002018-07-13T13:30:01+01:00Shaqiri Completes Liverpool Medical
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<img alt="Sweden v Switzerland: Round of 16 - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wFvUbwWNfUAljSSb001oDO5nlxQ=/0x0:2992x1995/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60358457/992651556.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Swiss attacker has reportedly made it through his medical Friday morning and is expected to be announced soon.</p> <p id="uVJwUC">The moment you’ve not necessarily waited for but knew was coming anyway is finally here. <span>Xherdan Shaqiri</span> is about to become the next player to join Jürgen Klopp’s <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> squad. The official announcement of Shaqiri’s arrival could well be broadcast today given that the Swiss attacker has reportedly already agreed personal terms and was booked for a medical Friday morning. </p>
<p id="xUsQBl">Shaqiri is said to have flown to Liverpool on Thursday after Liverpool sent over the £13million that triggered his Get Out Of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/stoke-city">Stoke City</a> For Cheap clause. </p>
<p id="JW6u4T">He should be an interesting addition to the squad, Shaqiri. He’s quick and wily, always thinking about moving the ball forward. And he’s dangerous from free-kicks. It remains to be seen how Shaqiri will take to the heavy press that Liverpool incorporate for long stretches of a match but he has time to train for that. </p>
<p id="23OoJW">Shaqiri’s signing will mean having another solid and speedy option off the bench to spell <span>Mohamed Salah</span> or Sadio Mané throughout the season. </p>
<p id="dccRfI">At 26, Shaqiri should be entering his prime years in the sport. He doesn’t arrive with the best reputation given that he failed to live up to expectations at <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/">Bayern Munich</a> and <a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/">Inter Milan</a> but with Klopp in control it’s hard to not sense that maybe everything is about to change for the man they call Power Cube. The manager has already worked his magic with <span>Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain</span>, helping the player discover himself at Anfield last season.</p>
<p id="sNxTDb">Stay tuned today for the fun pictures and video of Shaqiri bench pressing Alberto Moreno while chatting up the Melwood kitchen staff.</p>
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https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-transfer-news/2018/7/13/17567930/xherdan-shaqiri-undergoes-liverpool-medical-stoke-city-jurgen-klopp-mohamed-salah-bayern-munichMatt Wood2018-07-13T03:00:02+01:002018-07-13T03:00:02+01:00Xherdan Shaqiri Liverpool Medical Reportedly Booked For Friday
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<img alt="Sweden v Switzerland: Round of 16 - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RNgQ2Ww6ARFeWYgJ86YgL6BEbGY=/658x342:4314x2779/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60355479/991297842.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Reliable reports suggest the Stoke attacker will sign imminently. </p> <p id="6qP5S9"><span>Xherdan Shaqiri</span> is set to become Jürgen Klopp’s third signing of the summer as <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> are reported to have met the Swiss attacker’s release clause.</p>
<p id="RLzlpd">The Telegraph‘s John Percy was the first to break the news late Thursday night that the Red’s have agreed to pay the bargain £13.75m fee required to bring the pacy winger to Anfield. A medical has booked for Friday after which the 26-year-old will be formally revealed.</p>
<p id="PjDTtj">The signing that represents the depth recruitment along the attacking band Michael Edwards and the recruitment team will have been hoping for as Liverpool look to bolster the options behind the front three of Mohamed Salah, <span>Roberto Firmino</span> and <span>Sadio Mane</span> for the upcoming season.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Xherdan Shaqiri set for medical at Liverpool on Friday. Deal agreed with Stoke, release clause is around £13.75m. Will be Klopp’s third summer signing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#lfc</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/scfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#scfc</a></p>— John Percy (@JPercyTelegraph) <a href="https://twitter.com/JPercyTelegraph/status/1017522801375358983?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2018</a>
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<p id="Yo3Fsg">For Shaqiri, the move is a chance to kickstart a once promising career that has seen him stall at Bayern Munich and Inter Milan before suffering relegation with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/stoke-city">Stoke City</a> last term. With eight goals and seven assists in the 2017-18 season as well as a goal and an assist in leading Switzerland to the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/fifa-world-cup">World Cup</a> round of 16, the man known as the <em>Magical Dwarf </em>represents a smart, affordable Premier League-proven addition that will bolster Klopp’s options going into the new season.</p>
<p id="gRMKDF">The signing together with the arrivals of Fabinho and Naby Keita takes Liverpool’s summer spending over the £100m mark although that should not preclude a revival of a deal for Lyon’s Nabil Fekir following the end of the World Cup on Sunday.</p>
<p id="tIfQMz">Watch this space.</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2018/7/13/17567064/breaking-news-xherdan-shaqiri-liverpool-medical-booked-friday-stoke-city-transfer-newsO.T. Obaisi2018-07-11T13:30:02+01:002018-07-11T13:30:02+01:00Liverpool Reportedly Close to Xherdan Shaqiri Signing
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<img alt="Serbia v Switzerland: Group E - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vvAa7V4oCLQYeWPA2exj-MqHa7Q=/0x0:2592x1728/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60333119/981446724.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Stoke and Switzerland winger is expected to arrive shortly in a £13.5M deal.</p> <p id="Rc1XXY">It may not be a signing to match the excitement of Fabinho or Naby Keïta—or the failed signing of Nabil Fekir—but <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> now look set to add an important attacking depth option to the squad in the coming days with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/stoke-city">Stoke City</a>’s Xherdan Shqiri expected to arrive.</p>
<p id="bfzHYS">The 26-year-old Kosovoan-born Swiss international and fan of Albanian eagles is, according to a lengthy list of club-briefed journalists, expected to become Liverpool’s next signing, with his acquisition made easier by the existence of a £13.5M relegation release clause.</p>
<p id="0u1cfp">Liverpool, though, are expected to negotiate the transfer rather than simply triggering Shaqiri’s release, as Stoke want to take a player on loan from Liverpool for the upcoming season—with The Liverpool Echo’s James Pearce believing Sheyi Ojo is their first choice.</p>
<p id="nniJB4">Shaqiri had some thicc performances at the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/fifa-world-cup">World Cup</a> this summer and scored eight goals and seven assists for Stoke last year fora rate of a goal involvement every 203 minutes. The most exciting part of his game may be his iliac furrow, which <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2018/6/22/17494732/xherdan-shaqiri-goal-celebration-shirtless-world-cup-switzerland-serbia">he would like to show to you</a>.</p>
<p id="Ovio9N">For a player of his age and with the promise he first took from Basel in the Swiss league to Bayern Munich when he was younger—promise he never truly delivered on at Bayern or for Stoke, where his play at times looked downright indifferent—it’s not the greatest resume.</p>
<p id="9lDB7E">He won’t, however, be arriving at Liverpool as a starter. He’ll be arriving as second-choice on either wing behind Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané. And he’ll be arriving knowing that this is his last chance to make it at a big club. Plus, at £13.5M, he doesn’t cost very much.</p>
<p id="E68pwg">Add it all together and it’s a move that seems worthwhile, especially if it allows the club to retain funds to strengthen other positions. If it’s the final incoming transfer move of the summer for Liverpool, though, it will likely leave many feeling a little disappointed.</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-transfer-news/2018/7/11/17559402/liverpool-fc-transfer-news-close-xherdan-shaqiri-signing-13m-relegation-release-clause-stoke-cityNoel Chomyn2018-07-07T20:00:01+01:002018-07-07T20:00:01+01:00Rumour Mongering: Stoke To Ask For Loaned Player in Exchange for Shaqiri
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<img alt="Sweden v Switzerland: Round of 16 - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KZx-oc7HpqOZzDKundjiV0TLODQ=/848x295:4290x2590/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60292707/992651638.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Stoke may try to wring one more concession out of Liverpool’s pursuit of Xherdan Shaqiri.</p> <p id="g7FsdD">With Xherdan Shaqiri’s <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/fifa-world-cup">World Cup</a> with Switzerland coming to an end last week, the rumours about his imminent departure are once again picking up. <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> are the frontrunners to sign the winger, and were said to be keen on finishing the deal once Shaqiri returned to England. </p>
<p id="dKNV6L">The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/stoke-city">Stoke City</a> player has a release clause of £13million that was triggered upon Stoke’s relegation last season. While Liverpool are interested in him, other clubs are also said to be in the mix for his signature, including <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a>. Stoke have to let him go, but the rumour is that they will try to wring some additional concessions out of the club who nab him.</p>
<p id="bwGdSZ">The additional fee would be in the form of a loan signing for the season. Potters manager Gary Rowett needs reinforcements for his newly-relegated side, and with their star winger headed to greener pastures, they will surely be looking for a replacement.</p>
<p id="asIcQW">Liverpool have some good, young options available if they want to take that route, including the likes of Ryan Kent. </p>
<p id="1IzKkV">Shaqiri was the standout player for Switzerland in Russia this summer. His release clause would be a very good price for a solid back up player for Liverpool. This transfer is said to be in addition to another, bigger midfield signing this summer. Nabil Fekir appears to be off the table, but there is still time for a replacement to be brought in.</p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-transfer-news/2018/7/7/17543892/liverpool-fc-transfer-rumour-stoke-want-loan-player-exchange-shaqiri-ryan-kent-sheyi-ojoepicskyline