Xherdan Shaqiri has emerged as an surprise transfer target for Barclays Premier League outfit Everton, according to reports in Express Sport.
The former Bayern Munich winger has struggled to make much of an impression at Serie A giants Inter Milan since his arrival during the January transfer window and there has been strong rumours that he will be offloaded this summer.
Shaqiri had been linked with a switch to Stoke City in the past week, but according to Telegraph Sport the winger failed to respond to the club’s deadline which caused them to pull out of the deal.
Now the Toffees are ready to take advantage of the situation and are preparing to swoop in with a £12m offer for the 23-year-old, but manager Roberto Martinez is likely to face strong competition from Bundesliga side Schalke, who are reportedly in the driving seat for the player’s signature according to Football Italia.
Should the Blues win the race for Shaqiri then it could pave the way for Kevin Mirallas, who has one year left on his deal at Goodison Park, to depart the club this summer and he is reportedly a transfer target for Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino [via Mirror Sport].
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It’s not the first time Shaqiri has been linked with a move to England and Merseyside in particular, as prior to him joining Inter he rejected interest from Liverpool as well as several other Premier League clubs [via talkSPORT].
However, his decision to join the San Siro outfit is yet to be justified as the club have missed out on European football for the upcoming season and his own form has been less than impressive.
In 15 Serie A appearances he managed just one goal and registered two assists and the chance of a fresh start could appeal to the Switzerland international.