OPINION
West Ham are reportedly in the hunt to sign Stoke City’s Xherdan Shaqiri this summer and the club must bend over backwards to bring him to the London Stadium.
The Sun reports that the Hammers, Everton and Crystal Palace are all interested in signing the 26-year-old ahead of next season.
It is understood that the in-demand Premier League flyer has the option to activate a relegation clause in his deal following Stoke’s miserable campaign, which will mean he is available for a bargain price of £12million this summer.
Shaqiri was unable to prevent his team from relegation to the Championship, but still delivered some eye-catching displays and can light up the Premier League on his day.
West Ham should now go all out to try land the dazzling right-winger, who is renowned for his close ball control and powerful shooting in front of goal.
The Switzerland international is a fleet-footed winger that would blend brilliantly with the current attackers at West Ham, with one being a former Stoke teammate Marko Arnautovic.
Shaqiri has been the stand out player at Stoke in recent years and has immense pedigree from his time with German heavyweights.
He should now be entering the peak years of his career at his age and a fresh move to a Premier League rival makes perfect sense for him.
West Ham need to capitalise on a specular opportunity to sign Shaqiri for such a minimal fee and he could be worth three times as much if he hits the ground running at the London Stadium next season.
