Olympique Lyon have reportedly entered the race to sign Liverpool winger Xherdan Shaqiri as per the report in French outlet L’Equipe.
The Switzerland international joined the Reds back in 2018 from Stoke City. The winger has always been the second fiddle to Mohamed Salah at the Anfield stadium. During the 29-year-old’s time at Jurgen Klopp’s side, he has helped the club to win a UEFA Champions League and a Premier League.
However, having the first team appearances dried out at Liverpool last term, Shaqiri has expressed his desire to leave the club and start playing regularly at this stage of his career. The midfielder was an integral part of Switzerland’s run to the quarter-final in the Euro 2020 campaign.
Many clubs have shown interest in the 29-year-old after knowing his desire to leave Liverpool this summer. Apart from Lyon, Serie A clubs like AS Roma, Lazio and Napoli are all keeping an eye on the situation of Shaqiri.
Can Lyon sign Shaqiri this summer?
According to the report in L’Equipe, following the disappointing draw against Stade Brestois 29 in the opening fixtures of the new season, the Dutch manager Peter Bosz has asked for reinforcements in the attack. The report further claims that Lyon has already made a bid for Shaqiri to fulfil their new manager’s demands.
Liverpool are reportedly asking around €15 million for their winger who has only one year remaining in his current contract. The asking price has put off the Italian clubs for Shaqiri who will turn 30 this October. So, a move to French Ligue 1 football is the more likely destination for Shaqiri.
Following the departure of Memphis Depay, Les Gones need a new winger this summer and the Switzerland international will be a perfect replacement for the Dutchman. After failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League in the back to back seasons, Bosz’ side can not afford to lose Champions League revenue for the third season in a row. This would be a huge financial loss during this pandemic.
So, replacing Depay with Shaqiri will be a very good addition for Lyon. Having already failed to win at home in the first game, Les Gones need to sign the Swiss as soon as possible and get back to winning ways from the next fixtures.
Do follow us on Twitter to get the latest football news and updates.
