Ex-England international forward Darren Bent suggests that Xherdan Shaqiri could be heading out of the Anfield exit door as the Swiss attacker fails to grasp first-team opportunities this season due to Diogo Jota’s rise in the Liverpool FC pecking order.
Since his big-money move to the Merseyside Reds this summer, Jota has been in sensational form in front of the goal, with the Portuguese international finding the back of the net nine times in 15 outings, despite him being bought to provide cover for the Liverpool FC attacking line.
Meanwhile, first-team involvement in Jurgen Klopp’s side has been on the downward spiral for Shaqiri since the backend of the last season, and the ex-Bayern Munich star has started just one game across the Premier League and the Champions League in the ongoing campaign.
Bent’s recent remarks while speaking to Football Insider indicate that the former Tottenham Hotspurs striker believes that in order to grab more game-time on the pitch, Shaqiri would need to push through for an exit from the Premier League champions, as Jota seeks to establish first-team regular credentials with his recent bout of displays.
“Jota’s come in and has been absolutely sensational and I don’t think even Jota would have expected to have gone the way it has gone.
“Shaqiri, over the last couple months, he’s done okay, he’s played quite well but Jota’s come in, hit the ground running and yeah, he’s comfortably moved ahead of him so maybe it’s time for Shaqiri to get out there and get some game time.
“He’s still a very, very good player, he can still make things happen, he’s got a great left foot, great technique and there are going to be clubs out there that would love to have him in their squad.”
