Liverpool have agreed to sell Xherdan Shaqiri to French club Lyon for €12 million, the player arrived in France on Sunday according to an official statement released by Ligue 1, and is expected to complete his medical examinations ahead of the transfer soon.
Shaqiri wanted a move away from Liverpool this summer after it became increasingly clear that he would not have sufficient game time at Anfield with Liverpool’s squad stacked with talent ahead of him in the pecking order. As a result, the Merseyside club have agreed to let the player depart for a decent financial deal.
The Switzerland international has agreed a three-year deal with Lyon that will keep him at the club until June 2024. There is currently a deal agreed in principle between the two parties, and the final transfer is expected to go through next week right before the deadline.
At 29, the midfielder has earned 96 caps for his national team and joins a midfield stacked with talent at his new club. He will feature alongside Houssem Aouar, Maxence Caquaret, Bruno Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta in a competitive new season of the French league.
The main reason behind Shaqiri choosing Lyon is the promise of more game time. During his three years at Anfield, Shaqiri only made 45 appearances for Liverpool despite winning trophies like the Champions League and the Premier League. Lyon have had a rusty start to the new campaign, and will be hoping to receive a boost in form from their new recruit.
