The 8 Million Dollar Question: Is there still hope for Xherdan Shaqiri in Chicago?

Fifteen months ago, the Fire unveiled Xherdan Shaqiri as the crown jewel of what then seemed like a stellar offseason.

Shaqiri’s signing made international headlines and sent shockwaves around Major League Soccer. With an $8 million annual salary, he was, at the time, the highest-paid player in MLS history and smashed practically every Fire transfer record. But now, with one full season under his belt and a third of the way through his second season, it’s extremely difficult to consider the mega-deal a success.

Shaqiri’s first year in the league wasn’t terrible. He scored seven goals (though only three were from open play) and added 11 assists in 27 starts. In spite of some injury issues and playing through them at some stages, Shaqiri was one of the Fire’s most dangerous players for most of the season, and while the Fire missed the playoffs yet again, he capped off 2022 by earning a spot on Switzerland’s World Cup roster for the fourth time.

His performance in Qatar was even more encouraging. Shaqiri notched an assist in Switzerland’s opening game, a 1-0 win over Cameroon, and scored a goal against arch-nemesis Serbia in the decisive match, leading his team to the knockout stages. Ever since returning to Chicago, though, he just hasn’t been the same.

So far in 2023, Shaqiri has appeared just five times with three starts. In his minutes, he’s been totally ineffective and has looked a shadow of his former self. Though he did miss some time with an injury, he’s now been put on the bench by 19-year-old homegrown midfielder Brian Gutiérrez. Shaqiri got 23 minutes as a substitute in the Fire’s most recent match against New York Red Bulls, and he had just four touches and zero completed passes. Gutiérrez, meanwhile, has had a breakthrough season and has been the Fire’s most effective attacker whilst playing in the #10 role that was supposedly reserved for Shaqiri. The trio of Gutiérrez, Chris Mueller, and Maren Haile-Selassie has been strong, and the three attackers complement each other well, developing a chemistry that has not been seen from Shaqiri in Chicago.

The sporting staff’s confidence in Shaqiri took another blow earlier this week when they blocked Gutiérrez from traveling to the FIFA U-20 World Cup with the United States national team. Despite having a multi-million dollar DP #10 on the roster, the Fire’s decision to hold back the teenager from the tournament shows that they don’t have faith in Shaqiri to be the main man to pull the strings during that span. It is evidence of a dependence on Gutiérrez, equally an incredible accomplishment for the talented young rising star and a huge disappointment for the man brought in to be the face of the franchise.

So… what now?

Realistically, no player was ever going to be worth Shaqiri’s price tag. In addition to the estimated $8 million transfer, he is set to earn over $8 million every season for the life of his three-year deal. Unless he finds a way to score 20 goals and add 15 assists en route to an MLS Cup, it’s pretty much impossible for Shaqiri to live up to what totals to an over $32 million investment. He was still a good player in his first MLS season, but now, he’s truly failing to make an impact and is in serious danger of being officially labeled an MLS failure.

As unlikely as it may seem at the present moment, there’s still hope that Shaqiri could be a big contributor. He’s still not at 100% fitness, and has the talent and experience to be one of the better players in the league. Something else needs to change, though. Maybe it means a tactical adjustment flipping him to the right wing, where he plays for Switzerland, which has been suggested but never tried in-game. Though he’s clearly past his best, he'll be much more impactful if he’s fully motivated, and it seems like he’s dropped down a notch in 2023.

Perhaps, he just needs one moment to turn his season around. Since he's yet to score in 2023, Shaqiri seems to be lacking confidence, and if he can put the ball in the back of the net just once, perhaps it will give him to energy to be more adventurous and look to contribute more in the attack.

If all else fails, the Fire need to look for alternative plans. In a perfect world, the offense would be built around Brian Gutiérrez as the #10, with a 20-goal DP striker and highly productive winger brought in. If Shaqiri can’t turn things around, the club should seek to offload him and use his DP slot, in addition to the extra open slot, to strengthen those two positions. Truthfully, the Fire would be a genuine title contender if they could find the right players and nail the DP signings. The Fire’s sister club, Lugano, could present one option for getting Shaqiri off the books and returning him to his home country, or a more financially-appealing offer from a league like Turkey or Saudi Arabia could come in.

For now, though, he’s a Chicago Fire player. There’s still lots of time for the once-elite attacking dynamo to turn around his MLS career and leave a legacy in the Windy City. Right now, though, it isn’t looking too good, and there’s a long way to go if the 8 Million Dollar Man is to lead the Men in Red to a long-awaited playoff berth, let alone a trophy, as he promised upon his arrival.