According to Gianluca Di Marzio, as cited by Football-Italia, AS Roma are keen on securing the services of Xherdan Shaqiri. The Liverpool attacker has been identified as the ideal replacement for Nicolo Zaniolo, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an injury. It is believed that Roma want to sign Shaqiri on loan this month, with an option to buy the winger permanently at the end of the season.
Shaqiri’s struggles at Liverpool
Shaqiri initially joined Liverpool in the summer of 2018. He was considered as a potential alternative to the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, in case they get injured or suspended. He even started his career at Anfield on a strong note, notably scoring six goals and mustering three assists in 24 Premier League matches during the 2018/19 campaign.
However, Shaqiri wasn’t considered as a vital part of the team during the second half of last season, especially when Giorginio Wijnaldum really started to impress the onlookers. And as expected, the Swiss winger’s situation at Liverpool has gone from bad to worse this season, with the attacker featuring in only six league matches so far, only two of which were starts.
Shaqiri’s current deal at Liverpool expires in 2023. Considering the lack of game-time he has been getting at Anfield of late, a move away from Anfield does make a lot of sense.
Why Liverpool must offload Shaqiri
Shaqiri’s potential departure from Merseyside could actually prove to be beneficial for several reasons.
From a pure sporting perspective, Liverpool have been boosted by the return of Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain this season. His return has minimised Shaqiri’s importance in the squad, with the ex-Arsenal already notching up 13 league appearances so far.
Moreover, Adam Lallana hasn’t disappointed in his cameos as a substitute. But more importantly, Liverpool have recently boosted their attacking department with the addition of Takumi Minamino.
The Japanese winger arrived from RB Salzburg in January and given his performances in the Austrian Bundesliga, he will surely be useful for Jurgen Klopp, especially when rotating his squad for the Cup matches.
Another key reason why Liverpool must let go of Shaqiri is the fact that his departure will pave the way for youngsters like Harvey Elliott to enjoy a more prominent role in the first-team. Not to mention, offloading him in January will help Klopp significantly improve his wage budget, ultimately allowing him to sign new players in the future.
