XHERDAN SHAQIRI has opened the door to a move to Tottenham – insisting he wants to quit Stoke City for a Champions League club.
The Swiss international, signed from Inter Milan in 2015, has a clause in his contract allowing him to leave for £12million if the Potters are relegated.
Paul Lambert’s side dropped into the Championship last week after a nightmare season.
Shaqiri is a target for several Premier League clubs, including Spurs, West Ham, Everton and Crystal Palace.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men will play Champions League football once again next term after finishing third.
The 26-year-old winger previously competed against Europe’s elite clubs for Basel, Bayern Munich and Inter.
Shaqiri said: “It is important for me to find a club where the manager and directors all want me to sign.
“It will be all the better if this club is playing in Europe. It is any footballer’s great aim to play in the Champions League.
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“I will always be thankful to Stoke, as my time with them has been the most educational spell of my career.
“I’ve been able to establish myself in the Premier League, and the club stood by me even when things didn’t go well for me.
“Above all I’ve learned how to defend properly. Previously I always played for teams that were set up to attack in Basel, Bayern and Inter.
“I have matured as a person as well as a player. That is the reason I have provided more goals and assists than before – although I’d have sooner got one less and we’d have stayed up.
“You’ll understand that I can’t talk about what is written in my contract.
“No-one is perfect. I didn’t play well in every game, and all of us – players, staff and management – made mistakes.
“I’m not sleeping well for the moment. I feel sorry for the Stoke fans, the club and the people who work for it.
“It’s now important for Stoke to draw lessons from the season so they can hopefully return to the Premier League as soon as possible.
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“With the support they enjoy, that is where I belong.”
Shaqiri was a January target for Serie A giants Roma.
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But he insisted: “There were a few enquiries, but I wanted to finish the season with Stoke at all costs and help them achieve their aims.
“Besides, I had a bad experience when I joined Inter in mid-season. Enough has been said about that, and it is a closed chapter for me.
“But Serie A is an attractive league. Top players move to Italy every year – and so right now I’m not ruling anything out.”
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