Xherdan Shaqiri looks like he has the ability to become one of the ‘bargain buys’ of the summer judging by his early-season form at Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp has been singing the praises of his summer signing Xherdan Shaqiri.
The Swiss international was brought in to add depth to the Reds’ squad, and he has done exactly that.
When asked if he felt Shaqiri is meeting the standard expected of him so far, Klopp told Liverpool’s official website: “Yeah, or even more. What can I say?
“He’s just a fantastic boy on top, that’s really good, and he knows that he has so much potential still to improve.
“But of course he’s the guy for decisive moments, that’s how it is, and we have to make sure that it stays like this. Another really good performance and a fantastic goal on top, so it’s really cool.”
Klopp and his recruitment team decided to take a punt on Shaqiri after the Swiss international was relegated in May with Stoke City. That drop to the Championship activated a bargain-fee release clause in Shaqiri’s contract which Liverpool were happy to take advantage of.
Initially, from some corners, there were concerns about Shaqiri’s work-rate but he has shown his willingness to press and fight for the team at every opportunity since his arrival.
Shaqiri started the season looking like he could be the ace up Klopp’s sleeve when his Liverpool side are struggling to break a team down. He has quickly built a good understanding on the pitch with Mohamed Salah, with both players creating goals for each other already.
However, Shaqiri’s form is not going unnoticed and he has quickly built a strong bond with the Liverpool faithful and his first two Liverpool goals were things of beauty.
Against Cardiff, Shaqiri latched onto Salah’s pass before beating the defender with a deft drop of the shoulder and placing his finish low into the corner. The Fulham goal was probably more difficult, latching onto a great deep cross from Andy Robertson to volley home a side-footed finish like it was the easiest thing in the world.
Shaqiri can now build on this early-season form and show Klopp that he’s not just a good option from the bench. He can force his way into this team, especially with Klopp now trying the 4-2-3-1 shape on a more regular basis.
He clearly has his manager’s backing and may well be on hand to play his part in more ‘decisive moments’ in the business end of the season.
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