IS XHERDAN SHAQIRI SET TO LEAVE ANFIELD?

Liverpool are currently racing sky-high at the top of the Premier League, and that’s a fact. But there will always be a few players who have to make do with standing on the sidelines. Xherdan Shaqiri is one of those Liverpool players.

The Swiss international has largely been out of action since mid-September as a result of a calf injury. But while Shaqiri has returned to training, it’s highly questionable about where he could fit in in a Liverpool team that’s looking very settled. As a result, there are plenty of rumours circulating the Shaqiri could be set to leave Anfield to join a club who can give him more playing time.

Is Shaqiri unhappy at Anfield?

With only three Premier League appearances this season and all of those from the bench, it’s little wonder that Shaqiri has been labelled ‘the forgotten man’ of Liverpool. Such is the rampant success of Jurgen Klopp’s team that it’s easy to forget that Shaqiri has been missing.

The club are eight points clear at the top of the table, and many Liverpool fans will be betting on the team to bag their first Premier League title. If you’re looking for a betting site that offers fast payouts then check out this list of bookies that accept Skrill so that you can get your winnings in time for a possible victory parade through the streets of Liverpool in May.

Whether Shaqiri is still in the Liverpool squad by that point is anybody’s guess. Even as early as August Jurgen Klopp admitted that Shaqiri wasn’t the happiest player in the squad, and it’s unlikely that the current situation has helped things. The 28-year old only came to Liverpool from Stoke City in July 2018 for £13.5million, but he could soon be on his way.

Who would sign Shaqiri?

While the fiery winger hasn’t had much playing time this season, there is little doubting his footballing talent. Many people will have first got a taste of Shaqiri’s skill when he was one of Switzerland’s star players in the 2018 World Cup. The way in which he scored the winning goal against Serbia was one of the defining moments of the tournament, even if his goal celebrations may have courted controversy.

Above all, it’s his unpredictable and powerful style of play that has had Shaqiri linked with Premier League clubs like Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. It would be fascinating to see where he would fit in alongside Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette in the Arsenal attack, and there’s also an obvious space for him alongside Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min for Tottenham.

Interestingly there have also been suggestions that West Ham could make a bid for Shaqiri in the upcoming winter transfer period. While there’s no shortage of attacking midfielders in the West Ham line-up, there’s little doubting the fact that a star of Shaqiri’s character would add some fire to the team’s often toothless attack.

Would Liverpool want to sell Shaqiri?

While Jurgen Klopp has gone to great lengths to deny that he’d want to sell Shaqiri, there are growing rumours that the star could eventually be let go to make room for other new players. In particular, the potential purchase of RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner could see Shaqiri quietly offloaded from the club.

Such a move would be a sad end for Shaqiri as he made a bright start upon his arrival at Anfield. But with the likes of Salah, Mane and Firmino all in dazzling form, it’s hard to see how the Swiss international can get a toe-in with the current Liverpool squad’s relentless form.