Leicester City are reportedly in the hunt for Stoke City winger, Xherdan Shaqiri along with a host of other Premier League outfits. The Potters will have to sell the influential figure if his £12m release clause is met by any of the interested parties this summer.
Even Paul Lambert’s late appointment could not stop City from dropping down to the Championship as they finished the 2017/18 campaign dead last in the Premier League. The financial consequences are expected to be a massive punch in the stomach and high profile names like Shaqiri will have to be offloaded.
The Swiss international himself admitted that his future lies away from the bet365. He said, “It is no longer a secret that I will leave Stoke City. I think the Premier League is perfect for me. I would love to stay in England, but I do not want to rule anything out. It is the best league with the best players – simple.”
No one can actually blame the 26-year-old for his ambitious words. He stuck with the side for 3 seasons and now has to move on for greener pastures. He is entering the peak of his playing career and is perfectly suited for one of the elite top-flight teams.
Shaqiri is certainly the type of player who will leave you yearning for more after you witness him take the pitch. Standing at just 5 feet 6 inches figure, the winger packs a lot of skill and power into that remarkable left foot of his.
The Swiss international overcame a lot of difficulty from his early footballing days to make a name for himself in England. A prodigy to hail from the FC Basel camps but a complete flop at Bayern Munich, Shaqiri registered his first goal for the Bundesliga giants almost after a year from transfer to the Allianz Arena.
He could cut it at the Serie A either with an experienced Inter Milan team and was shipped out to Staffordshire after just 6 months at San Siro. The Potters initiated a £12m transfer and successfully landed him in the summer of 2015.
Ever since Shaqiri has scored 15 goals and assisted another 14 in his 92 appearances for Stoke. 8 of those goals came in the previous season and was one of the few consistent scoring outlets for Stoke City.
Leicester are set to lose out on Riyad Mahrez to Manchester City in the coming weeks and Shaqiri could fill in as an able replacement. Claude Puel started strongly in the last season with the Foxes but ended the season in dismal fashion, losing five of their last seven games. So, it is obvious that he will be looking for redemption this term and Shaqiri can be an important addition to his squad if the Frenchman goes in for him.
