During the January transfer window, I repeatedly argued that Liverpool should sign Basel winger Xherdan Shaqiri. The Swiss starlet was definitely available at a comparatively cheap price, and after talks with Galatasaray fell through, there was a tantalising window of opportunity for Liverpool to go in sign one of the most exciting young players in Europe. The club didn't make a move, and now that opportunity has been lost.
Shaqiri has signed for now Bayern Munich.
The German giants confirmed the transfer this morning in a statement on its website, which read:
"Bayern Munich and FC Basel 1893 have agreed the terms of a transfer deal for 20-year-old Switzerland international Xherdan Shaqiri.
"The 1.69 m / 5 ft 6 in midfielder, who completed his obligatory pre-transfer medical in Munich this week, has signed a four-year contract with FC Bayern, dated from 1 July 2012 until 30 June 2016".
Shaqiri was in negotiations with Galatasary near the end of January, for a potential transfer, but talks broke down and deal could not be concluded.
I'm disappointed Liverpool didn't make a move here. Perhaps there was no money to spend, but I doubt that's true as Kenny confirmed in a press conference a few weeks ago that there was an 'option' to sign players if necessary.
I'm sure Shaqiri will be a star for Bayern, and his transfer fee will probably never again be as low as it is now.
Jaimie Kanwar
Shaqiri has signed for now Bayern Munich.
The German giants confirmed the transfer this morning in a statement on its website, which read:
"Bayern Munich and FC Basel 1893 have agreed the terms of a transfer deal for 20-year-old Switzerland international Xherdan Shaqiri.
"The 1.69 m / 5 ft 6 in midfielder, who completed his obligatory pre-transfer medical in Munich this week, has signed a four-year contract with FC Bayern, dated from 1 July 2012 until 30 June 2016".
Shaqiri was in negotiations with Galatasary near the end of January, for a potential transfer, but talks broke down and deal could not be concluded.
I'm disappointed Liverpool didn't make a move here. Perhaps there was no money to spend, but I doubt that's true as Kenny confirmed in a press conference a few weeks ago that there was an 'option' to sign players if necessary.
I'm sure Shaqiri will be a star for Bayern, and his transfer fee will probably never again be as low as it is now.
Jaimie Kanwar
Have to agree with you on this one Jaimie. Was very disappointed we didn't make a move for him. Opportunity lost...
ReplyDeletesad, well, i guess KD is sticking to his plan - sign British!!
ReplyDeleteyou say that liverpool missed out, maybe liverpool just didn't want him.
ReplyDeleteyou can't miss out on something you didn't want anyway :)
I don't think we're in the same league as Bayern pal. It's all well and good talking about our history and canvases etc, but Bayern are prestigious and their usually at the top of the league (although I'm sure they had a blip recently), we may not be at the top for a couple of seasons and champions league for another season. So he may have been enquired about an not been interested.
ReplyDeleteIt is unbelievable what people on here think. Shaqiri's own club is still in Champion league after knocking out Manchester United. He went to Bayern Munich which plays Champion League and one of the top clubs of their league.
ReplyDeleteWhy on the earth would Shaqiri come to Liverpool ?
He was in negotiations with Galatasaray too, so why would he go there? I don't think it's about the prestige of the club, it's more about (IMO) who wanted him the most, and who would pay Basel's asking price.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely missed a trick here but I honestly think Dalglish thinks he can sneak 4th place with the current squad and justify his signings. I don't think eyes were laid on Shaqiri at all. Long gone is our extensive European scouting network, and it appears Comolli has been told to keep it domestic as well
ReplyDeleteIf he is that good why let him go especially whilst still in Champions League
ReplyDeletehe is a lot of trouble, and doesn't pass sideways enough for kenny.
ReplyDeleteVery funny! Like it!
ReplyDeletewaiting on raheem sterling, i think he nearly going to be in first team and it would block his development
ReplyDeleteThe Bundesliga is as barren as the SPL of course Bayern are always there or there abouts...depends if a player wants to shoot fish in a barrel or test his ability at the higher level. I doubt he snubbed Liverpool more like there was never an approach
ReplyDeleteIs this an anti Liverpool site, all the articles are negative !!
ReplyDeleteIn terms of trouble, we already got Suarez, so why not Shaqiri too, in relation to that ;)
ReplyDeleteBut agree with the sideways bit though!
I don't think we made a move for him too, we have made our bed with Downing already.
ReplyDeleteHe's been signed now for summer, but in advance, his contract with Bayern kicks on 01/07/2012. So, at the moment, he is an FC Basel player.
ReplyDeleteWell, guys, you missing the link here, King Penny wants sluggish, no hopers, people with no end result and to top it all, he wants them to be British. All it means is, they should not be quick, skilled and must be afraid to dribble or score. Shaqiri does not feel him at all. Should not be a surprise if he goes for Joey Barton!
ReplyDeleteApart from Suarez and Beller our transfers are really mediocre.
ReplyDeleteIt's is difficult to understand why the fans can see things better than the management of the club.
I guess the way footballl club is being run is the same as the corporate world where customers have better understanding of what's needed than the people in the company.
more negative press, start your own football club and shut up.
ReplyDeleteJaimie I dont know why you always lobbying for Albanian players to come calling them geniuses which Liverpool need:) The same was with Lorik Cana,and we can see now that he isnt Lfc standard. The club needs players to be champions in every sense,but I think these two arementally weak although have some ability,but nothing special.If im gonna be subjective,then Stevan Jovetic would be much better choice,he has it all:)
ReplyDeleteHow much will Bayern be paying him, eh??? There's money in German footie and in Turkey and Greece (despite their knackered economy). Why dya think Ribery's been there so long, when he hadn't spent more than a season anywhere else?
ReplyDeleteWe have had our debt wiped out, but we are functioning on what we make, NOT what FSG has in the bank - just as it should be.
I really don't see any BIG signings until after we have moved into the new stadium and increased our turnover.
Don't forget, the financial fair play lark. Anfield is pretty much full every game. Liverpool FC is making almost the maximum possible at the moment under the circumstances. That's why Man City NEED to sell in order to sign, why thEY won't loan Tevez out. It's about balancing the books. Other than a bigger ground, the only way of increasing revenue is merchandising. A transfer fee is one thing, but the wages make more of a dent.
we always miss brilliant players, dont we?
ReplyDeleteShaqiri is a brilliant player,he is the new roberto carlos.is from kosovo but with swizerland passport.
ReplyDeleteKenny contacted Crystal Palace to discuss Zaha's character in January
ReplyDeleteSigning players isn't as simple as it may seem from outside..... For example Arjen Robben is class but seems a self centred, selfish kind of bloke
Maybe this Swiss kid just didn't suit a move to Liverpool - culturally etc.
'self centred, selfish kind of bloke'
ReplyDeleteThat is a pretty damning observation to make, especially considering we are on the outside looking in.
From the outside looking in, some wouldn't go anywhere near signing Bellars because of his past behaviour but fans don't know what truly goes on behind closed doors. Wenger and Ferguson are very friendly behind closed doors according to Mourinho, so too Dalglish and Ferguson since when they were back in Scotland in the early days, despite perception peddled by the media and the showmanship that footballers/managers do.
Very hard to make a judgment about a player's character from the outside in as its a very personal aspect. Though some players don't help themselves such as Terry, Cassano, Rooney, Gerrard, etc.
Liverpool need to be signing the very best players and he isnt in that bracket is he. Remember Babel
ReplyDeleteSigning the 'very best' usually depends on CL football.
ReplyDelete'hit-and-hope' signings are par for the course
I agree. Why would we trust the view of people in the game when the club should have just spoken to you. They probably never heard of the player right?
ReplyDeleteeveryone needs to take a step back and wise up!...clubs going forward!....cant expect instant success club was in a state since alonso and masch and co left needed a total overhaul!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry mate we will sign mediocre English expensive players in the summer in kenny we don't trust
ReplyDeleteMate you don't make sense at all, need to make some correction on the comment regarding Lorik Cana. How can you possibly say he isn't lfc standard? He was an outstanding player at sunderland, the best player in their team. Do you remember or if you've actually watched liverpool play marseille at all? - he was absolutely brilliant, totally bossed the midfield and knocked liverpool out. He was their captain for years. As a fellow countryman and a diehard lfc fan wish he was in our team, same goes for shaqiri. Am absolutely gutted he went to germany!
ReplyDeleteMaybe we didn't go for him to keep space in our squad for the likes of Sterling and co to push through next season!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to say you're right. Sad, isn't it? But let's give Joey a big welcome when he arrives.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how good this guy is but even if he is good his form would have dipped alarmingly at Anfield. I find if hard to forgive the signings KD made last summer but much worse, in my book, is the way he keeps pretending they are doing well. His comments about Carroll, for instance. I would have far more respect for Kenny if he came right out and said "I signed four absolute donkeys. Sorry."
ReplyDeleteWhy Sunderland then sold him?He is combative like cattermole but thats all.Lfc need masters like Mascherano there.
ReplyDeleteMakes me laugh when people talk about player's character, mentally weak, etc, etc, when we are 7th in the league and our best two players appear to be those bastions of good character, Bellamy and Suarez. If that is anything to go by, the more players of 'bad' character we have, the better. Everyone loves an honest trier, but not when you are trying to win things.
ReplyDeleteI've watched this guy a few times and flatters to deceive all the time, the odd glimpse here and there - very overrated in my opinion. Lfc could do much better than this guy !! I know its a totally different position but I would prefer to see Lavezzi of Napoli !!
ReplyDeleteThey probably only bought him because of your previous blog on him.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we enquired and he didn't want to join us?
ReplyDeleteHard to stomach but being out of the champs lge means we are not an overlay attractive option, which is why we have signed the players we have signed with the exception of suarez possibly. (henderson/downing/adam/carroll have not been champs lge players).
bottom line - players need to want to join, its not championship manager :)
How can liverpool miss out on a player who there was no evidence that they were ever interested in? You could make an artice like this us about any player. Liverpool miss out on Saha. Liverpool miss out on Leon Best etc etc
ReplyDeleteWell although Liverpool have missed out on a very good young player who could be anything i look at Germany and say Marin would be a better pick up and would get rid of Downing in a flash.
ReplyDeleteThis year the champions league is out of the clubs grasp i believe and January would have been a great time to bring in young talent and give them a run.
Easy to write these articles; SHOCK HORROR Liverpool miss out on ANOTHER great player, but then so did Manure, FC Twente, Arsenal, St Johnstone, Spurs, Real Madrid, Doncaster blah blah blah.
ReplyDeleteI used to read so many decent articles on here, but now its just tittle tattle :(
a couple of things.
ReplyDelete1. Munich is less than 200 miles from basle
2. Shaqiri already speaks german.
3. Swiss players move to germany in the way that irish players move to england
4. bayern's annual income was 60% higher than liverpool last season. They made substantial profits, liverpool probably lost a lot of money last season (they release their accounts a year late)
5. Bayern are going to be in the CL next year
6. Liverpool are quite frankly a basket case at the moment.
7. They are a tarnished brand internationally. The Luis suarez story really didn't do the clubs reputation any favours.
The only way that liverpool were able to get luis suarez is because no-one else would sign him because of the obvious problems with his behaviour. So they were the single bidder, and paid way too much. The only way that they could have signed shaqiri is if no-one else was interested in him, but he hasn't bitten anyone.
Why sign British when has the England Scottish welsh irish team ever gone good in international football.british players will get u mid table.
ReplyDeletep.s. I know there are a few big clubs in Germany, but nothing to compare with the 6 big clubs that we have in England not to mention teams like Everton, Newcastle and Villa.
ReplyDeleteit's not that sunderland sold him, it was his choice to leave the club and Steve Bruce was gutted that he didn't wanna stay.
ReplyDeleteLiverpool can get by without him. There are more fishes in the sea.
ReplyDeleteI might be a stick in the mud here but wats to say Liverpool didnt try and the player said no? a whole host of english cluns would of looked at him. Perhaps he diddnt want a move to England?
ReplyDeleteWhen he was linked to Galatasary fans argued that that was proof that he wasn't good enough to join a top club. When he signs for Bayern the argument switches to we weren't an attractive enough proposition.
ReplyDeleteAs I've been saying all along, players will sign up for the best available option. By all reports, Liverpool aren't even giving Europe's most talented young players the opportunity to spurn our advances. It's like a guy that doesn't make any advances on anybody but fat chicks, and is then disappointed to find down the line that he has a fat girlfriend!
When he was linked to Galatasary fans argued that that was proof that he wasn't good enough to join a top club. When he signs for Bayern the argument switches to we weren't an attractive enough proposition.
ReplyDeleteJokers
In the same manner that Rami was signed from Lille last year.
ReplyDeleteLiverpool are so weak in the transfer market :-(
Sterling hasn't made a single first team appearance yet. So in the very best case scenario, we're at least two years away from Sterling even being a consistent squad player.
ReplyDeleteTalented first teamer's will provide more opportunity for youngsters to come in and play in a good team (such as Man U), rather than them being held back because the likes of Kuyt are incapable of putting teams away.
There's been more variation at the top of the Bundesliga in recent years than in the Premiership...
ReplyDeleteMascherano was just a combative player too. A bit better than Cattermole yea, but just another battler too nevertheless...
ReplyDeleteRobben may well be a "self centred, selfish kind of bloke" but he delivers on the pitch, which is what matters. And I'm sure players prefer having teammates that helps them win trophies, rather than clowns who can make them laugh in the dressing room but flop every week on the pitch.
ReplyDeleteI bet you're one of those guys who would argue that you'd prefer to have Kuyt in your team to Ronaldo though!
Remember what about Babel?
ReplyDeleteThat players won't shine if they're stuck on the bench every week?
If Sterling was going to feature heavily next season, he'd at least be making it onto the bench or been sent out on loan for first team football this season
ReplyDeleteI like the analogy, but just because Gala where linked with him it doesn't mean they where really interested or he was. Also, how do we know that we didn't try? I didn't know we where after quite a few of our current crop til after we bought them. Ok Adam and Downing where certs and I always knew we where linked with Luis and Jose but it wasn't always the case. And two where at the end of their contracts so it was never gonna be quiet. Players do move for ambition too, that's part of the better deal, Rooney left Everton not just for wages but ambition that's clear. Amongst others.
ReplyDelete