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Everton have now been installed as favourites to sign Stoke City winger Xherdan Shaqiri after the club's relegation to the Championship.

It was confirmed that the Potters would be going down after their 2-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace earlier this month - in which the Swiss international scored a deflected free kick which had initially put his side in front and given them hope.

Recent reports in Switzerland claim that there is a £12 million release clause in the Stoke man's contract, and that Everton could potentially be one of the front runners to sign the 26-year-old.

those reports have suggested the Blues would have to fight off competition from Spurs and Southampton if they wanted to sign the winger.

SkyBet now have Everton as 5/2 favourites to complete the signature - so we've had a look at the pros and cons of any potential deal.

Pros

Price

In the modern world of football, prices don't really seem to matter anymore.

Everton themselves spent a whole lot of money last summer on numerous players but have, on the most part at least, failed to see the kind of return you'd expect from that expenditure.

The £12 million fee that is being mooted around Shaqiri, then, doesn't seem to bad at all.

That is especially the case when you consider it's the exact same price that Stoke paid for the winger in August 2015 - where they just pipped Everton to the signing.

Quality

It can't be denied that, on his day, Xherdan Shaqiri is a fantastic footballer.

The winger is capable of producing moments of sheer quality that can completely change a game.

Everton fans know that first hand from all the way back in December 2015, with the Swiss international producing a stunning goal at the Gwladys Street to help Stoke to a 4-3 win over the Blues.

(Image: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

That quality has seen Shaqiri become one of the key men for the Switzerland national team, with arguably his best goal coming against Poland in Euro 2016.

A fantastic bicycle kick from the edge of the box eight minutes from time sent the match into extra time - although Poland would eventually go through on penalties.

Premier League proven

Of course, there are risks that come along with the signing of any player. Will he fit into his new surroundings? Will he gel with the rest of the squad?

But the added pressure that comes with signing someone from overseas is whether or not they will adapt well enough to the English game.

Everton have found out the hard way with the likes of Sandro Ramirez and Davy Klaassen that players don't always settle - despite how good they looked for their previous clubs.

That, at least, wouldn't be an issue with Shaqiri - who we know has settled in to Premier League life fairly well.

Cons

Mentality

This is always an issue when signing players from relegated clubs.

Of course it can work out, Idrissa Gueye is probably the best testament to that fact, but there is sometimes the concern over whether a player's mentality is right after they've just suffered the drop.

Was Shaqiri's head right when the pressure was on at Stoke City? It's hard to tell.

Everton fans will want a player who stands up to be counted when the chips are down and the club need their best players to perform - and it's not really been proven if the 26-year-old fits that description.

Inconsistency

Everton already have wingers struggling with consistency, and certainly don't need another one.

For all the quality that Shaqiri has produced over his time at Stoke City, the winger has only managed to bag 15 goals across his 91 appearances in all competitions for the club.

It's not strictly the best record, especially when you consider eight of those strikes have all come this season.

The Blues need players who are going to produce top quality performances week in, week out.

Going by Shaqiri's time at Stoke City, he's not exactly proven he can do that.

(Image: Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

Give youth a chance

Speaking of wingers Everton already have...

Fans have been happy to see Nikola Vlasic given more of a chance over the last couple of matches after spending months on the fringes of the first team.

And, of course, there's the small matter of Ademola Lookman - with the 20-year-old seriously starting to impress with his performances on loan with RB Leipzig.

Both are young and with a lot to learn, but Blues supporters would love to see them given more of a chance to impress.

A potential arrival of Shaqiri would surely restrict their game time even further and could threaten to stunt their development in the long term.