Close to joining Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer, Xherdan Shaqiri had asked OL to leave this winter in order to keep all his chances of being selected for the next World Cup. A surprise departure but which finally settles the affairs of Lyon.
That is no longer in doubt. Xherdan Shaqiri will leave OL in the next few hours. He was not even called up for tonight’s clash in Monaco as part of the 23rd day of Ligue 1, he who remained on a finally convincing performance with a goal and an assist in the stunning victory of the Lyonnais against OM at the start of the week (2-1, match to be replayed from the 14th day). We learned it last night, the Swiss will be transferred.
“The management of Olympique Lyonnais and Peter Bosz inform that they have granted Xherdan Shaqiri’s request to be able to start discussions with an MLS club as part of a future transfer. As a result, the Swiss international midfielder did not take part in today’s training session and is not part of the group that will travel to Monaco tomorrow evening as part of the 23rd day of Ligue 1.informed the French club last night.
Shaqiri had asked to leave…
Just six months after his arrival, and while the transfer window closed in France on Monday evening, the left-hander will take over the management of MLS, where the championship begins on February 26. He must engage with Chicago Fire, as learned The Team. This departure may surprise by its timing but in reality, the 30-year-old winger had asked at the beginning of January to benefit from an exit voucher, which the management had granted him.
It must be said that the Gones will be able to get rid of a player who receives 300,000 euros per month and whose performance has been disappointing since his arrival. OL will even find a way to make a small capital gain on the one who had been recruited for €6 million (plus €5 million bonus which will not be reached) in Liverpool since he will be sold for €7 million. He’s a very good player, but it was a recruitment error on his profile as he couldn’t play on the right, a club source tells The Team.
… which suited OL
Courted by FC Sion in Switzerland, Shaqiri wanted to regain playing time so as not to lose his place with the Nati for the World Cup in Qatar. It is finally the United States that he will join and especially Georg Heitz, the sports director of Chicago, whom he knew well from the time of FC Basel. In Lyon, in 16 games in all competitions, the attacking midfielder will have scored twice and delivered three assists. He is numerically replaced by Romain Faivre, who arrived for 18 M€ from Brest. The short history of the Swiss will not leave great memories but it ends with this whim against OM.
