Former Liverpool midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri is set to leave Lyon a little over six months after joining the French club from the Reds.
The playmaker moved in a cut-price deal over the summer, having impressed for Switzerland in the nation’s run to the quarter-finals of Euro 2020.
He has failed to impress at the French club, where he has been involved in just half of their Ligue 1 matches to date this campaign – starting only nine times.
The 30-year-old found the net in Tuesday night’s win at home to Marseille in the league but that was just his second goal for Lyon, who had 11 first-team players missing for that encounter.
It continues a difficult run for Shaqiri, who scored just once for Liverpool last season and struggled for games in Jurgen Klopp’s side.
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Shaqiri joined Lyon over the summer for a fee which could rise to £9.5m, with the French club subsequently offloading the likes of Maxwel Cornet and Joachim Andersen amid financial concerns.
The 100-time capped playmaker is now set to exit the Ligue 1 club despite the French transfer window being closed, with the American MLS said to be a possible destination.
It was originally reported by L’Equipe that the player had made the decision to leave the club having been in talks with Swiss club Sion over a possible switch, with MLS then emerging as a possible destination.
Swiss publication Blick went further in their reporting by claiming that Chicago Fire were the club who were in pole position to secure Shaqiri’s signature.
Any transfer is likely to cost in the region of £5.5million - which would represent somewhat of a bargain.
Sion president Christian Constantin confirmed his side had been interested in a move: “Shaqiri is lacking playing time in Lyon, wanted us to see each other.
“In anticipation of playing in the World Cup this year, he was looking for a club where he would have more playing time.”
Chicago Fire’s sporting director Georg Heitz is Swiss and previously worked at FC Basel when Shaqiri was making his breakthrough as a professional.
Heitz and Shaqiri are said to share a strong relationship, which would help prompt Chicago Fire as the strongest destination for the player.
Shaqiri was the only summer Lyon signing to command a fee, with Jerome Boateng joining on a free and Emerson arriving on loan from Chelsea.
It was a busy transfer window for Lyon, who signed midfielder Romain Favre from Brest and completed the loan signing of their former star Tanguy Ndombele from Tottenham.
Faivre and Ndombele are helping to replace the loss of Bruno Guimaraes, who has joined Newcastle United.
