Sunday Times Reporter Backs Liverpool to Eventually Sign Stoke Star After Recent Transfer Links

Sunday Times reporter Duncan Castle has weighed in on Xherdan Shaqiri's rumoured move to Liverpool, and suggested it's likely that the Stoke forward will move to Anfield eventually, if previous transfer trends are anything to go by.

The Reds have been heavily linked with a move for the Switzerland forward, who is currently on international duty with his country, over the past few weeks, and Castle compared the potential move to successful swoops for Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, among other insights.

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The journalist told Transfer Window Podcast as quoted on the Sport Review: "He is a player they have tried to sign in the past. Liverpool tend to identify players on statistical performance in the field. 

"Once they’ve identified them they pursue them for some time and eventually get them. Salah and Mane are proof of that.”

Shaqiri would join Naby Keita and Brazil midfielder Fabinho, who signed from Monaco back in May, in arriving at Anfield this summer should the move go through.

The move would follow an impressive individual season. Even though Stoke were ultimately relegated from the Premier League after a ten year stay, Shaqiri still registered eight goals and seven assists in 36 games for the Potters.

He'd add depth to Liverpool's forward line, something Jurgen Klopp is reportedly keen on, after his side struggled with a fixture congestion during a run to the Champions League final towards the end of last season - ultimately losing Salah to injury in the 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid, and having to replace him with an unfit Adam Lallana.

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Shaqiri isn't, however, expected to be an alternative to Nabil Fekir, who the Reds continue to pursue despite their initial deal falling through.