Olympique Lyon have reached an agreement with Liverpool over the transfer of Xherdan Shaqiri, according to numerous sources.
The Switzerland international joined Liverpool from Stoke City for around £12 million in 2018, and went on to score eight goals complemented by nine assists in 63 appearances in all competitions. He was never intended to be a regular part of the starting XI under Jurgen Klopp and he never was, but rather a decent option from the bench or an occasional alternative on the attacking flanks.
Nonetheless, some of his goals and assists were absolutely vital for the things Liverpool achieved between 2018 and 2020 – the Champions League and the Premier League triumphs.
But it seems that after three years, Shaqiri has grown tired of such a role, and he informed the club earlier this summer of his wish to try his luck somewhere where he could objectively compete for a starting place. He was linked with a return to Italy, where he spent the second half of 2014-15 with Inter Milan, and he openly said he wouldn’t mind joining Lazio, who were credited with interest recently.
However, obviously nothing came of that and Lyon stepped in, keen to reinforce their attacking ranks after the departure of Memphis Depay to Barcelona.
The talks didn’t go too smoothly at first. There was a huge gap between the amount the Ligue 1 side offered initially (around £4m) and what Liverpool wanted (£12m), but the negotiations progressed well with both sides willing to work to find a solution. The compromise has been reached at £9.5m, and the winger, who turns 30 in October, should complete the move to France in the coming days.
