Premier League side Liverpool Football Club completed the signing of Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri from the recently relegated side Stoke City on Friday after the Merseyside club activated the player's release clause which is said to be slightly more than £13 million.
The 26-year-old is the third signing made my the Jurgen Klopp-managed side this summer after Naby Keita and Fabinho. Shaqiri will be joining his new team for the US tour that is scheduled to start on the 22nd of July.
The Liverpool faithful are left divided on their club's latest purchase as many believe his attitude on the ground is not good enough for a club like Liverpool which is managed by a coach like Klopp and the others believe this deal to be a bargain as the player has come cheap.
All the doubts and questions can only be answered when the attacker steps on the field as a Liverpool player. For now, let's have a look at five things that you probably didn't know about Shaqiri:
#5 Cut short his holiday to sign for Liverpool
One thing you probably know about Shaqiri, unless you haven't been living under a rock for the past month, is that he was a really important part of the Switzerland national football team that took part in the World Cup at Russia. The Alpine Messi, as he is nicknamed, bagged one goal (which ended up causing a lot of controversy for the celebration he did) and an assist during the tournament.
However, the Swiss team saw their World Cup campaign come to an end after facing a 1-0 defeat against Sweden in the pre-quarters. This heartbreak meant that the players could go on vacation as they have been working tirelessly since the beginning of the season and it is mandatory that players get a time off before they start the new season. But all that didn't matter to Shaqiri.
Just nine days after being knocked out of the World Cup, the attacker flew into Merseyside to get the deal done and officially be a Liverpool player. Ironically, many Reds fans had judged him to be lazy and this act of Shaqiri says the opposite.
Immediately after completing the procedures, the player has gone to the United States for his holidays. Again US has been chosen so that he could join the team there.
#4 A Champions League winner
Shaqiri began his senior football career with Swiss club Basel back in 2009. After three good years with the side, German giants Bayern Munich came calling and the player signed for them in 2012. He was just 19-years-old then and there wouldn't have been a bigger thing he could have wished for.
Shaqiri's stint with Bayern lasted for three years and he won the Bundesliga in each of the years. But the most significant year during his stay at the club was his first season - 2012/13. The year in which the German club won the treble for the first time in their history.
They won the Bundesliga title, the DFB-Pokal and also the UEFA Champions League. It also has to be noted that the German Champions won the Champions League after beating Klopp's Borussia Dortmund in the finals and the gaffer had to helplessly watch Shaqiri lift the trophy. He will be hoping that he can see that sight again, but this time with the player on his side.
#3 Ex-teammate of Emre Can
When Shaqiri joined Bayern in 2012 also was when Emre Can, who recently left Liverpool, was promoted to the club's senior team from the academy. However, Can moved to Bayer Leverkusen just one year later (but he was part of the Bayern Munich side that won the treble).
Although both the players weren't getting regular playing time during their time together in Germany, the two were on the pitch at the same time on very rare occasions.
In 2014 Can made his move to Liverpool and four seasons later, this summer, the player left the club on a free transfer to Juventus. And the way he departed from the club hasn't left many Liverpool fans happy.
However, days after the Can's move to Italy became official Shaqiri has replaced him at Liverpool - not in terms of position, but by the jersey number. The latest signing has opted for the number 23 shirt which was previously worn by legendary Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who seems to be happy with the signing:
#2 Crossed paths with Mo Salah six years ago
Can and Shaqiri being teammates is pointless now isn't it? The former isn't even a Liverpool player anymore. However, there is one player Shaqiri is pretty familiar with - Merseyside's beloved Mohamed Salah.
As mentioned before, Shaqiri began his senior team career with Swiss side FC Basel and Salah also had a stint with the club back in 2012.
After impressing in Switzerland for three years, Shaqiri had agreed to move to Bayern Munich when the transfer window opens in 2012. Coincidentally, it was when a young Salah caught the eyes of the Basel scouts.
The now Liverpool number 11 was invited for a trial at the club, during which he impressed and landed a contract with the club.
Shaqiri was still at the club when Salah arrived for his trials and the Swiss international claims that his new teammate trained with him for around three teams six years ago.
“He came for training and a trial when I was at Basel. He came to train two or three times, I trained with him,” Shaqiri told Liverpoolfc.com.
#1 Failed transfer to Liverpool
The relation between Shaqiri and Liverpool is not something that began just this year. The Swiss international was linked with the Premier League club in the past and was once even close to a move to the club.
Shaqiri himself had revealed that he had an offer from Liverpool in 2014. The Reds wanted to sign the player after the 2014 World Cup and then manager Brendan Rodgers even contacted him few times. However Bayern Munich,who were managed by Pep Guardiola then, blocked his move.
"I really wanted to leave in the summer of 2014. I had offers from Liverpool and Atletico Madrid. I chose Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers even called me before the World Cup. But Bayern blocked me", Shaqiri told Spox.com in 2016.
Exactly four years and and a World Cup later, Shaqiri has got his move. It was always meant to be, isn't it?
DISCLAIMER: This article was first published on Sportskeeda.
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