Out of favour Liverpool midfielder set to force move in search of game time

Liverpool’s defence of their first ever Premier League title has proved nothing short of disastrous so far, with Saturday’s 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Newcastle United the latest in a series of shock results. 

Jurgen Klopp’s side are now four points behind the top-four with just five games remaining and, with the Reds out of all European and domestic cup competitions, their chances of qualifying for next year’s Champions League look to be all but over.

The Reds have spent much of their season without their first choice centre-back pairing of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, while Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have also missed spells through injury.

Midfielder Gini Wijnaldum, arguably Liverpool’s player of the season so far, is also rumoured to be on the verge of joining Spanish giants Barcelona on a free transfer, with his current deal set to expire in June and no talk of an extension being agreed.

Now, acording to Football Insider, Klopp could be about to lose another of his stars, with Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri rumoured to be pushing for a move away from the club this summer.

Shaqiri’s only goal this season was against Lincoln City in the EFL Cup.

Shaqiri, 29, has made just six starts all season, featuring just 21 times across all competitions, and has reportedly grown tired of his lack of action.

The report suggests that Shaqiri has instructed his agent to find him a new club, with Italian sides Lazio and Roma rumoured to be interested, along with Sevilla.

Liverpool had previously slapped a £23 million price tag on the Switzerland international, but may be forced to lower their demands in order to entice potential suitors.

The Reds signed Shaqiri for a cut-price £13 million after triggering his release clause from Stoke in 2018, and the attacker was part of the side that won the Champions League and Premier League in consecutive seasons.

However, with his playing time so restricted, and Klopp seemingly in favour of other players, it seems that the playmaker’s time at Anfield could be coming to an end.