Former Liverpool winger Xherdan Shaqiri is the highest paid player in America’s Major League Soccer.

The 31-year-old, who plays for MLS side Chicago Fire, had a salary of $8.15m (£6.55m) during his first season Stateside, according to figures published by the league.

Shaqiri, who arrived at Liverpool from Stoke City in 2018 before departing in the summer of 2021 for Lyon in a £5m-plus deal, joined the Fire last season and made 29 appearances and netted seven goals in his maiden campaign for the club.

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The figures also show that Shaqiri’s salary takes up a staggering 41.8 per cent of Chicago’s total wage budget.

Chicago finished 12th in the Eastern Conference in his first season and currently sit 13th, with the Switzerland international having started five matches so far, coming off the bench in two others. Chicago head coach Ezra Hendrickson was sacked earlier this month because of poor results.

Of the MLS earnings list, Toronto's Italy team-mates Lorenzo Insigne ($7.5m) and Federico Bernardeschi ($6.3m) come in second and fourth, with LA Galaxy's former Manchester United forward Javier Hernandez ($7,4m) sitting at third. Austin's Sebastian Driussi ($6m) and Houston Dynamo's Hector Herrera ($5.2m) complete the top six.

During his time at Liverpool, Shaqiri made 61 appearances in all competitions, netting eight goals in the process, and winning the Premier League, Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

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