Stoke have been a mainstay in the Premier League but poor results and an uninspired appointment in Paul Lambert has seen them pushed back to the Championship.
Barcelona have been looking at wide-men after an unsuccessful attempt in bringing Atletico man, Antoine Griezmann. Ernesto Valverde is keen to make additions to the squad as the Blaugrana look to defend their La Liga crown. The papers have linked them with many star names but the most recent one is a relegated Premier League Swiss. Yes, it is the former Bayern Munich and Inter Milan winger, Xherdan Shaqiri.
Stoke City were put out of their misery after they were relegated to the Championship during the 2017-18 season
Don Balon on Shaqiri to Barcelona
Don Balon, the Spanish news outlet, has revealed that the La Liga champions are looking at the Swiss attacker. Valverde is keen to improve his bench and picked out the former Bayern man who has also played at Inter under Roberto Mancini. He is looking for a someone who can change the course of a game and Shaqiri, with his explosiveness and dribbling, might be the one shortlisted.
But the newspaper has also raised concerns if the Swiss would be interested in a bench role, even at a club of Barcelona’s stature. Though he is keen on a move away from Stoke City, he is said to be looking at options which might afford him more game time.
Shaqiri on leaving Stoke City
‘The Alpine Messi’ has confirmed that he would be leaving his current club after facing relegation.“Yes, of course. It is no secret that I will leave the club,” he said. “I would love to stay in England, I think the league is perfect for me. It’s the best league with the best players, but I do not want to exclude anything. Everyone wants to compete with the best, that was one reason why I chose the Premier League. And that’s why I want to take the next step now.”
He also admitted that the Stoke fans didn’t get o see the best of him in the season gone by.“The best? That is difficult to say. I have a very good season and am satisfied with my services, but the best Xherdan? Probably not,” he concluded.
Author’s take-
Xherdan Shaqiri to Barcelona is certainly an interesting choice. We all know the genius he possesses but rarely gets to see it. It will also be intriguing to see if the player is ready to sacrifice game time to don the famous jersey. The Catalans will also be rivaled by top Premier League sides like Liverpool and Barcelona in acquiring his services. All in all, Barca fans won’t be excited but will certainly keep an eye on this.
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