Liverpool Offer Attacker £5m-A-Season Five-Year Contract During Formal Talks

As we approach the opening of the summer window clubs will be intensifying their efforts in the transfer market so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Liverpool close in on Xherdan Shaqiri.

Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Bayern Munich attacker Xherdan Shaqiri after offering him a £5m-per-season deal during formal talks with his representatives in Switzerland, according to reports today.

Shaqiri has been tipped to leave the Allianz Arena this summer just two years since joining the Bundesliga giants from FC Basel, as he’s struggled to force his way in to Pep Guardiola’s first team plans.

The 22-year-old made just 10 league starts last season with a further 7 coming as a substitute, but he still managed to chip in with six goals despite his lack of first team action.

Liverpool have been strongly linked with the diminutive winger in recent weeks and it now appears they have made their move with the Metro claiming that club officials have met with the players representatives in Switzerland after Bayern gave the Merseysiders permission to hold talks.

It’s understood that a £5m-per-season five-year contract was put forward – which works out at around £95,000-a-week – and Liverpool officials are believed to be confident of tying up a deal quickly.

The newspaper suggests that although no fee has been agreed with Bayern as yet, it should be nothing more than a ‘formality’ once the player agrees personal terms. The Metro don’t cite any potential transfer fee but reports last week claimed it could be in the region of £15m – which would be a relative bargain for a player of his quality.

Brendan Rodgers has been on the look out for attacking reinforcements this summer and it appears he’s turned his attention to Shaqiri after previously being linked with the likes of Adam Lallana and Yevhen Konoplyanka.

It must be said that if the Reds could pick him up for around £15m then they’d be getting one hell of a deal, particularly when you consider Lallana has been touted around at double that figure.

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Shaqiri has been displaying his quality at the World Cup this summer and bagged a superb hat-trick last night during Switzerland’s 3-0 win over Honduras to secure qualification to the knockout stages of the tournament, so although the reports suggest a deal is close, Liverpool may have to wait a little while longer before sealing any potential move.