Liverpool miss out on millions in bonus money after transfer plan backfires

Liverpool have missed out on millions in bonus money following Xherdan Shaqiri's transfer to Chicago Fire.

The Switzerland international midfielder left the Reds in the summer for Lyon in a deal worth £5million, with 4.2million to be paid further down the line in bonus instalments - nearly 50 per cent of the overall transfer fee.

It was never stipulated what would trigger the clauses, but most contracts feature appearance and goal bonuses.

Shaqiri failed to make an impact during his short 6-month stint in France and only clocked up 1,000 minutes of playing time in just 16 appearances for the Ligue 1 club.

What's more, he netted only twice and set up an additional three goals.

His lack of game time and failure to net consistently suggests none of the clauses were triggered, and Liverpool have not been paid any of the £4.2million they were owed, as part of the original deal.

To make matters worse, Lyon were able to make a profit on Shaqiri, selling him to MLS club Chicago Fire for £6million.

Chicago Fire Sporting Director Georg Heitz is Swiss and previously worked at FC Basel when Shaqiri was emerging as a prospect.

Heitz announced the transfer on Wednesday, saying: "We're extremely pleased to formally welcome Xherdan Shaqiri to the Fire.

"We look forward to welcoming him and his family to Chicago very soon."

The new MLS season doesn't get underway until April 16, meaning Shaqiri has some time to get to know his new Chicago Fire teammates in training.

The Fire finished third from bottom last season and will be hoping to turn things around this coming campaign with Premier League and Champions League winner Shaqiri spearheading their attack.