According to reports by Swiss media outlet Blick, Southampton are one of the potential suitors for Stoke City winger Xherdan Shaqiri this summer after it had wrongly been claimed that the player was keen to join Galatasaray.
Blick suggests that the 26-year-old – who Transfermarkt value at £16.2million – would prefer to stay in England and the Premier League if he does leave the Potters following their relegation to the Championship.
New Saints boss Mark Hughes certainly knows all about the Switzerland international having brought him to the Britannia Stadium in 2016 while he was manager of the Staffordshire-based club, and it appears as though he is keen to be reunited with the attacker again with his team managing just 37 goals in their 38 top flight matches this term.
Adding the former Inter Milan and Bayern Munich man to their squad would certainly go some way to improving that record seeing as he scored eight goals and provided a further seven assists in 36 league games during the 2017/18 campaign, and his arrival at St Mary’s would also have huge consequences for a number of their current squad and the fans, who have been debating the future of one of their 22-year-old stars on Twitter.
Here are three things that will definitely happen if Southampton sign Shaqiri…
The Morocco international looks likely to leave this summer now Mark Hughes has been confirmed as Saints’ new manager, after the two were involved in an altercation back in May, but the Welshman could at least look to keep hold of him until he finds a replacement.
With the south coast outfit not having a plethora of options in wide areas they will certainly want to bring in a player before they let Boufal go, and if Shaqiri did arrive at St Mary’s it would surely be the signal that would see the 24-year-old go after a largely disastrous two-year spell with the club.
Like Boufal, Shaqiri has plenty of talent in his locker, but there will be some fans that will wonder how he went from the likes of Bayern Munich and Inter Milan to Stoke City, with all due respect.
That suggests that perhaps his attitude hasn’t always been right and he hasn’t always acted in the best way, and Saints supporters will remember back to the goalless draw between the two sides in March when the Switzerland international was very vocal in criticising his teammates.
On the other hand, other parts of the St Mary’s faithful will know just how talented and influential the 26-year-old can be on his day, and he could easily go on to be their best and most important player as they look to return to the top-half of the table next season.
Gabbiadini struggled for game time under both Mauricio Pellegrino and Mark Hughes, but his crucial goal against Swansea City that effectively saved the south coast outfit from relegation could mean that he still has a big role to play at St Mary’s in the future.
The Italian has often been starved of good service since he joined Southampton with the club not having the players to unlock defences and find his runs, but Shaqiri is capable of doing exactly that and he could potentially forge a great link-up with the former Napoli attacker that would bring the best out of him again.
Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.
