Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes that Xherdan Shaqiri still “has a lot to offer” despite struggling for game-time at Liverpool and reportedly set to leave the club this summer.
Having made just 10 appearances and managed only two Premier League starts all season, the Liverpool Echo included him in a list of possible Anfield departures in 2020. A subsequent report from Football Insider claimed that the Reds’ director of football Michael Edwards would be willing to selling the Swiss winger but not for less than £28m, more than twice the £13.5m that Liverpool paid for him two years ago (as per Evening Standard).
Robinson seemed surprised at Edwards’ lofty valuation of the 28-year-old but feels that Shaqiri will have “no shortage of takers” if he is made available for transfer by the Premier League leaders. The ex-Tottenham ‘keeper told Football Insider: “He has done well when he has come in and he has given Jurgen Klopp another option – playing in the midfield or as part of the front-three. It is up to him whether he wants to play on a more regular basis but I do not think they would look to ship on as such. He is a bit-part player at Liverpool.
“A player is only worth what another club is willing to pay. I think that price tag may put a few off but there will be no shortage of takers because he has a lot to offer. He looks so much better in the Liverpool team that he did the Stoke team. It shows that he needs better players around him. Under Klopp, you have seen him put in the hard yards and he has been a decent signing for Liverpool.”
Robinson makes some good points about Shaqiri’s effectiveness whenever he has been called upon, as well as the tactical flexibility that he affords to Klopp. The Switzerland international may only have featured for 174 minutes in the Premier League this season but he has still scored in that time, netting in the 5-2 win over Everton in December. Also, in addition to operating on either wing in Klopp’s preferred 4-3-3 system, he can play as a central attacking midfielder if the manager decides to deviate from his regular formation.
Shaqiri may have fallen out of favour in recent months but he enjoyed a decent first season at Liverpool, scoring six times in 24 Premier League games. Those half-dozen goals all came in a two-month period towards the end of 2018, hinting that the 28-year-old is quite capable of putting an impressive streak together when playing regularly. He also came in from the cold to make his mark on the legendary 4-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals – having not played in the competition for nearly six months, he provided the cross to set up Georginio Wijnaldum’s second goal at Anfield that night.
At a moderate sum of £13m, the Swiss attacker has made some valuable contributions during a Liverpool career that has been hampered by injuries. Perhaps Edwards is being ambitious with his £28m price tag considering the player’s proximity to his 30s and lack of game-time for the Reds, but Robinson is right in saying that he should still have plenty to offer to any prospective suitors if he departs Anfield in the next few months.
Liverpool fans, what do you make of Robinson’s opinion on Shaqiri? Is £28m an excessive price tag for him? Share your views in the comments section below!
