Why Stoke City’s Xherdan Shaqiri Would Be A Great Signing For Everton
As per a report from Calciomercato, Everton are one of the Premier League clubs interested in a summer swoop for Stoke City midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri.
The Potters are one of the likeliest clubs to get relegated at the end of the season and if that does happen, the club will have to prepare for a mass exodus. Shaqiri is one player Stoke will have to bid adieu to. Given his talent and potential, it is highly unlikely for him to continue with them if they get relegated.
While that might seem unfortunate for Stoke, it seems like a good situation for Everton. The Toffees will have to spend wisely in the upcoming transfer window and a move for Shaqiri seems highly beneficial for the club.
Initially, the player struggled in the Premier League and could not adjust to the rigours of the English top-flight. Since his move from Inter Milan back in 2015, Shaqiri failed to impress but all that has changed this season.
The creative midfielder has been one of Stoke’s standout players and has amassed a total of 7 goals and 6 assists this term. In addition to that, Shaqiri has also created a whopping 68 chances in 32 appearances for Stoke in the ongoing campaign, according to Squawka.
At Stoke, his creativity could not yield much due to the lack of quality goalscorers but that won’t be a problem at Everton. Despite initial hiccups, the Merseysiders are playing quite decently under Sam Allardyce’s guidance and the likes of Cenk Tosun, Oumar Niasse and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are more than capable of finding the back of the net.
Theo Walcott has also been quite generous when it comes to scoring goals and all these players could benefit greatly from Shaqiri’s service.
One might argue that Everton do have a fair share of creative attackers but having Shaqiri in the mix could add some much-needed dynamism to their performance in the final third. He might be known for being frustratingly inconsistent but a player like him just needs the right environment. Things have been falling apart at Stoke for a while now but Everton are in an exciting transition phase right now.
If they make the right purchases in the upcoming transfer window, they will be capable of pushing for a higher finish next season.
Thus, Everton must definitely pursue a deal for Shaqiri but they might have to be mindful of the price. Since his contract runs until 2020, Stoke would want to charge a hefty amount and it remains to be seen if the Toffees shell out that amount.