Bayern Munich winger Xherdan Shaqiri has backtracked on recent newspaper reports that claimed he was ready to listen to offers from Liverpool and Manchester United.
Earlier this month, his brother and agent, Erdin, told Swiss paper Blick, via ESPN.co.uk:
Xherdan is 22. You need to win regular minutes at this age and that, right now, is not the case.
We are now waiting until the summer. When clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United, Inter Milan or other top clubs want to talk, then we will certainly listen to them.
The player, obviously frustrated with his lack of playing time under Bayern boss Pep Guardiola, contradicted his sibling, per the SID news agency, via ESPN.co.uk: “I never said I want to leave. I’m very happy in Munich and I’m not thinking about leaving. My brother’s opinion was written a bit differently to what he actually said.”
In any event, the threat to leave won’t have gone down well at a club that pride themselves on doing things the right way.
Former Switzerland and Bayern player Ciriaco Sforza alluded to that fact when he told Blick via ESPN.co.uk: “They don’t like those things at Bayern. You could run into big trouble with the Bayern family.”
A mutual understanding may well develop between most clubs and players whereby an individual is allowed to move on if he isn’t getting many games. However, there are ways and means of procuring such a move.
Shaqiri perhaps won’t be enamoured by Guardiola’s backhanded compliment that the Swiss is his “most important substitute,” per Kit Holden of the Daily Mail, but it’s obvious what Guardiola sees in the player.
Written by Steve Milne
