Xherdan Shaqiri is proving to be the bargain of the season for Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp was on a spending spree this summer and the German was the highest spending manager in the Premier League. Consequently, Liverpool made the headlines with the mega-money signings of Naby Keita (£48 million), Alisson (£67 million) and Fabinho (£43.7 million). Alisson became the most expensive goalkeeper in the world, only to have his record broken by Kepa Arrizabalaga who joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao.
However, the signing of Xherdan Shaqiri in a £12 million deal from Stoke City did not quite stir the footballing world. Many critics considered that Shaqiri would only get to play a bit-part role in Liverpool’s heavily stocked attack.
Well, it has been 17 games into the season and the Swiss international has established himself as one of the mainstays of Liverpool’s attack. In fact, Shaqiri has added to Liverpool’s plentiful attacking resources, making the Reds all the more potent an attacking unit.
The 27-year-old found regular minutes hard to come by in the first few games but he proved his worth as an impact player off the bench. He showed that a player of his calibre doesn’t necessarily need ninety minutes to make an impact. However, things slowly changed for him and he earned a starter’s role in the subsequent games.
The presence of a versatile and dynamic attacker like Shaqiri has done a world of good to Liverpool’s team dynamics. Klopp was pretty much married to a 4-3-3 in the previous season but he hasn’t been reluctant to switch to a much more attacking 4-2-3-1 formation with Shaqiri operating down the right.
In other words, Shaqiri’s presence has given Liverpool the luxury of having an extra attacking option in the final third, thus reducing the overreliance on the likes of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
As sharp, fast and agile as Shaqiri is, Liverpool have benefitted hugely from his ability to run at defences and play direct football. Furthermore, he has contributed a lot to the attack with his creative passing, often playing the ball off the ground to link up with the likes of Mane and Salah up front. He has squandered a few chances but five goals and two assists from only 7 starts in the Premier League are definitely good returns.
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The Swiss international has been a constantly bully for the opposition with his subtle movement and pressing off the ball, not allowing them to play out from the back. Another thing that must be noted here is that Shaqiri’s constant movement makes him a difficult player for the defenders to mark, often opening up spaces for the others to pull the strings.
Suffice to say, Liverpool look a lot more creative and dangerous with Shaqiri in the side and he might prove himself to be the bargain of the season in the Premier League if he continues to impress under Klopp’s high-intensity philosophy.
