MLS team Chicago Fire is close to announcing the signing of 30-year-old Xherdan Shaqiri from Olympique Lyonnais. It’s been less than a year since the little winger swapped England for France, but he failed miserably to revive his career at Groupama Arena. Perhaps America is the answer!Why did you sign him?! Lyon paid over $10 million to Liverpool for the Swiss only to play him out of positionRemember when Shaqiri was a good player? Although it seems like it’s been a lifetime ago, the Switzerland international was indeed a fine player. So fine, in fact, that even the Champions League-chasing Liverpool wanted the diminutive winger in their squad. But his career has been on nosediving for a few seasons now.The 30-year-old Shaqiri has 100 caps with the Swiss national team for which he scored 26 goals. Apart from Lyon and Liverpool, he’d also played for Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and FC Basel, where he rose to stardom. And it’s his history with the Swiss club that sparked interest from over the Atlantic. Chicago’s sporting director Georg Heitz worked for Basel when Shaqiri broke through there. If anyone knows Xherdan – it’s Heitz.BREAKING: Chicago Fire and Lyon are finalizing a deal for midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri per source. Deal not 100% done but close.Shaqiri, 30, has 100 caps with Swiss national team. Previously with Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. pic.twitter.com/o55K8uWAmp— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) February 4, 2022 Shaqiri was supposed to be one of Lyon’s key players in their desired return to the Champions League, but to say it hasn’t worked would be an understatement. The departure of Lyon’s sporting director Juninho Pernambucano, who insisted that the club should pay $6.6 million to sign the player from Liverpool, hardly helped Shaqiri’s cause in France.As things stand, Lyon are set to make a profit on the sale – a truly remarkable piece of business.LIGUE 1 – Round 23Friday23.00: (1.60) Olympique Marseille (4.00) Angers (7.00)Saturday19.00: (2.65) Saint-Etienne (3.25) Montpellier (2.90)23.00: (2.10) Monaco (3.50) Olympique Lyon (3.80)Sunday15.00: (3.40) Lorient (3.35) Lens (2.30)17.00: (1.90) Strasbourg (3.50) Nantes (4.60)17.00: (2.10) Troyes (3.40) Metz (3.90)17.00: (1.62) Nice (3.90) Clermont (6.50)17.00: (2.25) Reims (3.30) Bordeaux (3.60)19.00: (1.55) Rennes (4.20) Brest (7.00)22.45: (4.40) Lille (3.60) PSG (1.92)***odds are subject to change
