Bayern Munich midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri has recently voiced his frustrations over the lack of playing time he is currently experiencing with the German giants. The Switzerland international has only been given three combined starts in Bundesliga and Champions League play. Despite the lack of time of the pitch, Shaqiri has managed to record two goals and two assists on the campaign so far (all within his last six appearances).
Just last week, Shaqiri told Switzerland’s Blick newspaper, “Of course I want to be playing more. I wanted a move in the summer, of course, but the club made their decision and I’ve just got to live with it. I just felt after the World Cup that it would be better for me to try something new. I thought about moving and I had lots of enquiries, but Bayern decided that I had to stay and you can’t do much about that as a player.”
Shaqiri went on to finish by saying, “Everybody knows I want to be playing more. I’ve got to speak with Bayern before anybody and we will sit down again this winter. I just get the impression I would never be a regular starter, not even if I score in every game.”
With Shaqiri fighting for playing time with stars such as Mario Götze, Franck Ribéry, and Arjen Robben, a significant boost in time on the pitch does not look very likely in the near future.
The player’s candid admission is somewhat surprising, as most players chose to handle frustrations and transfer speculations in a quiet fashion. Nevertheless, Shaqiri is a budding star in the world of soccer and a move away from Bayern to receive more playing time could be a good idea.
Shaqiri, just 23-years-old, is at a time when many soccer players are entering their prime, and to maximize his potential, he needs to play as much as possible. The Yugoslavian-born player has only played 78 combined minutes over his last five appearances for Bayern, and has only completed a full 90 minutes one time this season (on August 30th).
Despite his lack of size (he is nicknamed the “Magic Dwarf”), Shaqiri is a talented player. He made his full senior international debut for Switzerland at just 18 years of age and has scored 15 total goals for his national team (including this gem last Saturday). Shaqiri possesses outstanding vision and creativity, as well as a hammer for a left foot from long range.
Liverpool and Manchester United are reportedly interested in the Swiss star, and a January switch could very well be in the cards for Shaqiri. The two Premier League teams will surely not be the only potential suitors for the Swiss player, and a rumored £18 million price tag is not all that unreasonable in today’s market for a player of Shaqiri’s quality.
