Liverpool reject Roma & Sevilla loan offers for Shaqiri

Liverpool have dismissed loan offers from Roma and Sevilla for Xherdan Shaqiri and will keep the Switzerland star until at least the end of the season.

Shaqiri is attracting interest from a host of European clubs having failed to nail down a regular place in Jurgen Klopp’s side this season.

The 28-year-old has made just three starts, the last of which came against Monterrey in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup last month. 

A series of niggling injuries have not helped. Shaqiri was ruled out of Sunday’s game with Manchester United due to a minor muscle strain but hopes to return in time for the FA Cup fourth round trip to Shrewsbury this weekend.

Sevilla, through sporting director Monchi, made formal approaches to sign Shaqiri on loan this month, while Roma made contact through intermediaries. Both have been told that Liverpool have no intention of letting the former Stoke City man leave in this window. 

Reports in Italy claiming that the Reds have slapped a €15 million (£12.75m/$16.7m) asking price on Shaqiri are wide of the mark. Indeed, Anfield sources have told Goal that Liverpool would demand around double that fee if they chose to sell in the summer, and they are confident that they would get it.

Shaqiri joined for £13.5 million ($18m) in 2018 and made 30 appearances in his debut campaign at Anfield, scoring six goals.

There were memorable moments, including two goals as a substitute to beat Manchester United, while his contribution to the Reds’ Champions League success was significant. Shaqiri started the epic semi-final second-leg win over Barcelona last May, setting up Liverpool’s crucial third goal for Gini Wijnaldum. 

But the durability of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in wide positions, plus the presence of the likes of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and new signing Takumi Minamino, as well as highly-rated teenage duo Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, means competition for places is fierce within Klopp’s side.

Having missed the start of the season with a calf problem, Shaqiri impressed when starting, and scoring, against Everton in the Premier League last month. 

But he was absent when the sides met again in the FA Cup in early January, having suffered a thigh strain. This denied him valuable minutes, at a time when Klopp’s options were stretched to the maximum.

Liverpool will consider offers for the ex-Basel, Bayern Munich and Inter wideman at the end of the current season but, as things stand, there is little to no chance of Shaqiri leaving Anfield during this transfer window.