Two alternatives Liverpool should look at instead of signing Xherdan Shaqiri

Liverpool have completed deals for Fabinho and Naby Keita but they are yet to sign a replacement for Philipe Coutinho. The Reds stunningly failed in their pursuit of Lyon captain Nabil Fekir after demanding a lower fee for the player. The Reds are in dire need of a new creative attacking midfielder and over the last few weeks, they have been linked with Stoke City’s Xherdan Shaqiri.

Liverpool are reportedly interested in snapping up the midfielder from relegated Stoke City. He might not be a like-for-like replacement but Shaqiri was impressive for the Potters throughout the whole of last season.

The Swiss international made a total of 36 appearances for the club last season, scoring 8 goals and providing 7 assists in that time. He is an extremely talented player but it doesn’t seem like he can replicate what Coutinho did for the club.

Here, we take a look at two alternatives Jurgen Klopp could sign instead of jumping the gun on Xherdan Shaqiri.

Paulo Dybala (Juventus)

Juventus have signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. This could spark a transfer merry-go-round in the next couple of days. Dybala is an exceptional midfielder with brilliant abilities on the ball.

He has been one of the Serie A champions’ most consistent performers over the last few years. The attacking midfielder joined the club in 2015 and has gone on to make a total of 98 appearances for the Italian outfit, scoring a whopping 52 goals in that time.

Those are impressive numbers from the Argentinian, who has since nailed down a regular spot at the club. Last season, the 24-year-old made 26 appearances in the Serie A, scoring 22 goals and providing 5 assists. He’s a goalscorer as well as a playmaker at the same time. Klopp should certainly make a move for the extremely talented midfielder who seems to be getting better and better with time.

Julian Draxler (Paris Saint-Germain)

The 24-year-old would be a decent backup option for Jurgen Klopp. A fellow German, Draxler is a creative player in the middle of the park. Although he wouldn’t be a like-for-like replacement for Coutinho, the PSG midfielder will bring in his own style of play.

Draxler is a brilliant passer of the ball, averaging a pass success rate of 92.8% in the Ligue 1 last season. He made a total of 19 appearances for the French champions, scoring 4 goals and providing 5 assists in that time.

Draxler generally operates as a central attacking midfielder but he is a versatile player who is capable of playing on either wing as well. He is certainly an outside option for the German coach but one that could prove to be a massive signing in the long run.