Spurs to swoop for Swiss star and Liverpool target Xherdan Shaqiri

Tottenham (joint 14/1 favourites to win the Europa League) are apparently waiting eagerly for the January transfer window to open, with Mauricio Pochettino keen to splash out in the sales and steal Bayern Munich midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri from underneath Brendan Rodgers’ nose.

Long-time Liverpool target Shaqiri appears to finally be making his much-mooted move to the Premier League, but could now arrive in north London rather than Merseyside.

The 40-times capped Switzerland star has struggled to find a regular starting berth at Bayern, with the highly-rated attacker becoming a squad player for the Bundesliga giants. Shaqiri currently faces a battle with the likes of Arjen Robben, Mario Gotze and Thomas Muller for a slot in the first XI and is believed to favour a winter move to gain increased playing time.

There is little doubt that Shaqiri would become a key player for struggling Spurs upon his arrival, and the thought of the tricky Swiss international combing with Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela will surely thrill White Hart Lane fans.

Strong, skilful and creative, the versatile wingman could add another dimension to Tottenham’s attacking play, and may thrive as one of the main men. At just 23, Shaqiri still has plenty of potential to hit the heights he was once tipped to achieve as a youngster with boyhood club Basel.

The sensational speedster holds dual Swiss and Albanian nationality, but was born in disputed territory Kosovo. After breaking onto the first team scene for Basel in 2009, he lifted three league titles during his time at St Jakob-Park, before switching to Bayern in 2012.

Shaqiri’s stint in Munich has also been a success, as he was part of the 2012/13 treble-winning side, and has so far made 50 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern, netting 10 times.

Should Spurs (13/10 for a top six finish) make a bid, they would undoubtedly face competition for the rapid wideman’s services, with rumours still linking Shaqiri with a transfer to Rodgers’ Reds and Serie A giants Juventus.