Stoke City have emerged as Liverpool‘s unlikely rivals for Xherdan Shaqiri’s signature, according to reports.

The Bayern Munich star, who has struggled to secure consistent first-team football since leaving Basel in 2012, is a figure of admiration for the Potters. Assistant boss Mark Bowen recently underlined the club’s ambition to BBC Radio Stoke (h/t Dejan Kalinic of Goal.com), saying, “To get a good player like him on board would be fantastic.”

“There are other clubs interested, but it doesn’t mean we rule ourselves out,” continued Bowen. “He’s definitely on the list, but there is competition for a player of his ability.”

Mark Hughes’ side pulled off the ambitious coup of signing ex-Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic during the summer, a transfer that Bowen believes could aid the club’s quest for Shaqiri.

“It’s bound to help and it does help,” he said, per Kalinic. “There’s many boxes to tick, not least the financial side of it, and with Shaqiri coming from one of the best clubs in the world, there’s a lot of persuasion to get it done.”

Liverpool fans will certainly need to wade through various Shaqiri rumours before the truth is revealed. Swiss newspaper Blick (h/t Chisanga Malata of the Daily Star) reports a £10 million fee has already been agreed for the 23-year-old’s switch to Anfield.

Anthony Chapman of the Express believes Brendan Rodgers has offered Shaqiri “a lucrative long-term deal,” a contract that has reportedly pushed Inter Milan out of the running for his signature. Romeo Agresti of Goal.com believes Juventus are “ready to launch” a £15 million bid, a sum that could steer Shaqiri away from Merseyside.

Rodgers needs to be hunting players of this calibre, those who can have an immediate impact on his team’s chances of reaching the Champions League.

Although an unlikely transfer, rumours of Karim Benzema’s interest continue to spring up. Ben Jefferson of the Express believes the Real Madrid striker “has his heart set on a move to the Premier League.” Liverpool are preparing a £40 million bid according to the aforementioned report, but there’s no doubt this seems an unlikely pairing.

Benzema pretty much has guaranteed success laid out ahead of him at Madrid. It would be a gutsy move to exchange titles and Champions League football for a Premier League scrap for fourth. Europe’s elite would likely weigh up a bid if he becomes available, with teams such as Paris Saint-Germain able to offer greater terms than Liverpool. David Wright of the Express reports of the Ligue 1 side’s interest.

More likely is the arrival of West Brom’s Saido Berahino, a player the Baggies have valued at £20 million, per the Mirror‘s Steve Robson. Warren Haughton of talkSPORT believes the midlands club “will be willing to sell” if they receive a bid in the region of £12-15 million. This is perhaps closer to Liverpool’s budget for January.

News of Steven Gerrard‘s departure will have many supporters thinking about the club’s long-term future. Gerrard recently admitted, “If a contract had been put in front of me in pre-season I would have signed it,” reported by the Liverpool Echo (h/t Carl Markham of The Independent).

Instead, the club waited too long and will lose their talisman—who has netted four goals in his last two matches—to LA Galaxy, reported by Ben Smith of BBC Sport. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher recently hinted at his thoughts on the Reds’ inability to tie Gerrard up:

Liverpool need additional goalscoring prowess, as noted by Andy Brassell’s recent rundown of potential candidates with B/R UK’s Ryan Bailey:

Rodgers has to act quickly and with authority if he’s to secure the right talent in January. Liverpool failed to sign Mohamed Salah and Yevhen Konoplyanka after taking too long over negotiations during last season’s winter transfer window, so they need to work avidly.

If suitable quality isn’t found and the club fails to make next season’s Champions League, Rodgers and the board will have plenty to answer for. You have to feel that a major signing is on the way to soften the blow after Gerrard’s departure, with Shaqiri remaining a possible prospect to up Liverpool’s creativity.

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