5 things you didn't know about new Liverpool signing Xherdan Shaqiri

Liverpool Unveil New Signing Xherdan Shaqiri — Xherdan Shaqiri was unveiled as Liverpool player on Friday

#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?

About the author

Dakir is a European and Indian football journalist at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 10 years. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication, and currently pursuing Master’s in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University, he is a seasoned football journalist who has interviewed the likes of former Liverpool star John Arne Riise, covered the entire 2022-23 Indian Super League season of the Kerala Blasters, and has delivered a seminar at an international conference held by St. Albert's College, Ernakulam.

Thanks to his extensive academic background in journalism, Dakir understands the importance of accuracy and spends a significant amount of time researching the subject. In today’s data-driven world of football, where players are perceived as machines, he prides himself amplify the voices of the people that make football the beautiful game that it is.

He started following football in 2013, and more specifically, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, and admires Jurgen Klopp for his untouched charisma and unmatched legacy. A perpetual underdog supporter, he is a fan of under-fire Reds forward Darwin Nunez and can’t wait for him to show the world what he truly is. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s iconic “corner taken quickly” corner assist for Divock Origi in Liverpool’s 4-0 UCL semifinal win over Barcelona left a lasting impact on him.

When not writing, Dakir enjoys indulging in his guilty pleasure - watching mass commercial movies.

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Edited by Amar Anand