Why Newcastle United must secure the signing of Xherdan Shaqiri this summer
In an interview with Football Insider (h/t Express), former Premier League star Paul Robinson has backed Newcastle United to secure the signing of out-of-favour Liverpool winger Xherdan Shaqiri in the summer.
Shaqiri, 28, started out at the academy of SV Augst, before moving to the FC Basel youth setup in 2000. The Swiss international established himself as a key member of the team and went on to make 130 appearances, bagging 23 goals and 27 assists. In 2012, he moved to Bayern Munich and featured 81 times, scoring 17 goals.
Shaqiri joined Inter Milan in January 2015 but failed to make an impact and ended up moving to Stoke City in the subsequent summer. The winger was with the Potters for three years, in which he scored and assisted 15 goals each in 92 games. He moved to Liverpool in the summer of 2018. Till date, the 28-year-old has featured 40 times for the Reds, netting 7 times.
Newcastle United need more quality in the attack
Newcastle United have endured a poor campaign. Sitting 13th in the Premier League table, the Magpies have struggled for goals this season. They have netted just 25 goals in the league, which is the joint-lowest in the competition.
They spent heavily on recruiting a striker in the form of Joelinton last summer but he has netted just once this term. Fellow strikers Andy Carroll, Dwight Gayle and Yoshinori Muto are yet to score in the league.
On the flanks, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron have provided some spark, but have managed only two goals apiece. Fellow winger Christian Atsu has failed to find the back of the net even once, whereas Matt Ritchie has mostly been used as a left-back, which has limited his productivity.
Hence, bringing in a new wide player should be a top priority for Newcastle this summer. And Shaqiri, to that end, would be a more than handy addition. The 28-year-old hasn’t been a regular in the ongoing campaign this season because of fitness issues. This has restricted him to just 10 appearances, scoring a solitary goal.
However, the £80k-a-week Switzerland international is a vastly experienced customer and has played at some of the biggest clubs in his career. Furthermore, he was in impressive form in the 2018/19 campaign for Liverpool, finishing with 6 goals and 5 assists in 30 matches.
Shaqiri, at 28, is in his peak years. The Liverpool star is a proven commodity in the Premier League and in continental competitions, while being a key member of the Switzerland national team as well. Signing him would improve the depth and quality of the Newcastle United attack.
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Verdict
Newcastle United have struggled in the final third this season. So it is imperative that they add more quality players to the squad before next term. In that regard, signing Shaqiri would be a wise move by the Magpies.
A vastly experienced campaigner, Shaqiri has been in England for almost five years now and has proven himself in the Premier League. His signing would certainly help Newcastle better their performances, while adding more depth and quality to their attacking department.
