Photoby Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images
The Swiss international—now in isolation due to coronavirus—says
staying with the Reds was his choice.
As deadline day approached, what seemed a certain departure for
Xherdan Shaqiri turned into a Liverpool stay—one that could mean another season of
limited minutes for the Swiss international and that also leaves
the Reds with one more senior foreign player than they can
register.
However, at the end of the day Shaqiri says that it was his
decision to remain at Anfield for another season, with a fight for
minutes with the defending Premier League champions a more
appealing option than joining any of the clubs that may have been
interested in signing the 28-year-old.
“I have decided to stay with Liverpool,” Shaqiri said shortly after joining up with the Swiss
national team—and before the player received a positive coronavirus test earlier today. “The
media write a lot, but in the end I am with Liverpool. I have a
long-term contract and I really feel good.”
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Given Shaqiri was held out of last week’s League Cup tie with
Arsenal—a game in which he was expected to start—it’s
clear it was more than simple media speculation. Whatever the
reason, though, Shaqiri is now expected to stay with the Reds for
the entirety of the 2020-21 football season.
“In football there is always speculation,” he noted, before
adding he was looking forward to playing for Switzerland before
returning to Liverpool to fight for minutes—though both playing for
the national team and returning to fight for minutes are for the
time being at least on hold.