Fabrizio Romano relays news of completed agreement - Many LFC fans think an incoming is in the pipeline

Xherdan Shaqiri is close to moving to Lyon and this has led to Liverpool fans speculating that the club has an incoming transfer in the pipeline.

With Shaqiri, one of the players in Liverpool's squad that occupies a non-homegrown slot, fans believe as soon as he leaves, the club could sign a new player.

The logic behind this is that Liverpool cannot sign any players not born in the UK (commonly referred to as homegrown) that are above the age of 21.

But if Shaqiri, a Swiss national born in Gjilan, Kosovo, leaves the club soon, Liverpool could theoretically make a new signing, with the likes of Saul and Renato Sanches heavily linked recently.

While Liverpool and Michael Edwards have normally held out for valuations much higher than other clubs would normally be able to, the Reds could be in a more desperate situation than made obvious from the outside.

Jurgen Klopp is obviously never going to tell reporters that he and his sporting director are working really hard to make new signings and are frustrated by a lack of progress.

Why? The media would have a field day. Every blog, newspaper and fansite (this one included) would be quick to react.

And worst of all, it would make Liverpool's jobs that much harder in talks with clubs and agents - there's a reason why football transfers are so hushed up these days.

Lionel Messi's free-agent move to PSG was the rare exception and it's largely to do with the fact that it was obvious where he was going and previous leaks already exposed how much he was earning with Barcelona.

Liverpool are typically a well-oiled machine when it comes to transfers and while it might seem like the Chelseas and Manchester clubs of the world are superior, it's only that way because they have more money.

If you gave Michael Edwards and his team of scouts and data analysts the cash that is available to PSG, City and Real Madrid, I think Liverpool would run the football world. And we have Klopp.

Hopefully, we add a new player in the next few weeks and if we don't, at least we have, van Dijk, Fabinho, Salah and several other world-beaters.