Xherdan Shaqiri Lyon exit six months after Liverpool move explained as fitness claim made

Former Liverpool winger Xherdan Shaqiri was not fit when he left the club for Lyon last summer.

That's the opinion of Lyon coach Peter Bosz, whose club signed Shaqiri in a £9.5million deal from Liverpool in August.

However, the Switzerland international's time in France lasted just six months and this week he left to join MLS side Chicago Fire.

Speaking to French outlet Foot Mercato, Bosz claimed that Shaqiri was 'not in the best shape at the start' and that he struggled to do the defensive side of this role.

"We used Shaq on the right-wing at the beginning," the Dutchman said.

"As we weren’t so dominant, he played in wide-open spaces and had to attack as well as defend, and I don’t think he can do that.

"He’s really a number 10 who has to play between the lines, you could even say that he was the best player between the lines for us, with his superb technique and vision in small spaces.

"But there are a lot of players in that position here, Houssem Aouar, Lucas Paquetá, Romain Faivre now.”

Shaqiri was a part of the Liverpool squad that lifted the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League title a year later in 2020.

He managed eight goals and nine assists across 69 appearances for the Reds.