Just minor details are left to settle before Chicago Fire will be able to announce Xherdan Shaqiri’s transfer. The 30-year-old Swiss international is not part of the Lyon squad traveling to Monaco for a French Ligue 1 clash on Saturday.
Shaqiri moved to Lyon last summer after three years with Liverpool. He started nine times and came on twice from the bench this season, netting twice and assisting another three goals.
Shaqiri is a well-cultured player. He came through at Basel in Switzerland, then played for European giants Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Liverpool, before joining Lyon in 2021. Shaqiri played 100 times for the Swiss national team, scoring 26 goals. In 2014, EA Sports chose him to be on the cover of FIFA 15 for the Swiss edition of the game, along with Lionel Messi. Shaqiri was the most Googled personality in Switzerland in 2018. He was born in Gjilan, Kosovo, but immigrated to Switzerland with his whole family when he was one year old.
Could Shaqiri push Fire to the playoffs next season?
Shaqiri was part of the Switzerland national team at three World Cups (2010, 2014 and 2018), as well as two European Championships (2016 and 2020). He is currently the captain of the Swiss team.
Chicago Fire, the team he is very close to joining, missed out on the MLS playoffs last season. The Fire finished 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 9-7-18 record, scoring 36 goals in 34 games and conceding 54. Only Toronto and Cincinnati did worse.
Chicago is the 18th favorite to win the MLS Cup in 2022, with the bookies having them at +5000 to triumph.