Liverpool playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri looks set to depart Anfield in the coming days - with BBC Sport reporting that a £9.5 million switch to Lyon has been agreed.

The Swiss international has won both the Premier League and Champions League on Merseyside, following his 2018 move from Stoke. However, playing time has been limited for the 29-year-old in recent times under Jurgen Klopp.

Shaqiri started just five Premier League games for the Reds last term and has yet to feature for them this season. He has, though, remained a key part of the Swiss national side - scoring three times for his country at Euro 2020 this summer.

Given that Shaqiri is soon to no longer be a Liverpool player, football journalist Chris Williams tweeted on Sunday to reveal a bizarre story about the midfielder's return from an international break during his time at the club. 

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Shaqiri missed just over two months of action between September and November 2019 due to what the club insisted at the time was a calf injury. Williams' post, however, has put a new spin on the situation, suggesting that the player was actually forced to sit on the sidelines after having a hair transplant, not realising it would leave him unable to play. 

"Now Shaqiri has left Liverpool can we openly talk about how he had a hair transplant on international duty but didn’t realise he couldn’t head a ball for six weeks or go outside without a hat on? Imagine having to tell your boss that," read the viral tweet.

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Of course, we're not saying that Shaqiri didn't suffer a calf issue as Liverpool stated, but there is no doubt that the Swiss star had a hair transplant around this time. The difference in the thickness of his hair (particularly at the front of his head) is striking - as the comparison in the tweet below shows...

Assuming the story is accurate, Jurgen Klopp can't have been happy. As mentioned, from the time he was able to participate again until his imminent departure, Shaqiri has made only a handful of first-team starts for the club.

We're also guessing that Shaqiri's Liverpool teammates will have had a field day mocking him for his huge error. An amazing turn of events!

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