FC Bayern Munich: What the Xherdan Shaqiri Signing Means for the Bavarian Giants

If reports from all over the German media are believed to be true, FC Bayern has signed 20-year old Basel winger Xherdan Shaqiri. 

Shaqiri is expected to sign a four-year contract with the Bavarians for a reported €9 million.

This signing may potentially affect many things in FC Bayern's future, from a weeks time to years down the road.

Read on to see what I mean.

1. FC Bayern May Face Their New Signing in Two Weeks

If this signing is completed today or tomorrow, Bayern are set to face their new Swiss starlet in two weeks, as the Champions League round of 16 begins next week. Bayern and Basel are scheduled to face each other in Switzerland on the 22nd of February in the first leg of that tie.

This is Shaqiri's chance to prove himself to his future employers in the same way Cristiano Ronaldo did for Manchester United. Cristiano's Sporting Lisbon faced Manchester United in a friendly, and Sir Alex Ferguson saw potential in the young Portuguese, eventually signing him.

We all know what happened to Cristiano Ronaldo after that, so this could be a stepping stone in making Xherdan Shaqiri one of the best in the world.

2. Shaqiri Could Be a Starter as Soon as Euro 2012 Is Over.

Unfortunately, Xherdan Shaqiri's Swiss side didn't make it to Euro 2012. As bad as that sounds, there might be an upside to their failings.

Both of Bayern's starting wingers, Arjen Robben  from the Netherlands, and Franck Ribery of France, will be playing in the Euro 2012 championships. This gives Xherdan a chance to practice at Bayern while the pair are off wearing their bodies out, and with both wingers being injury prone, Shaqiri can be on the pitch for the Bavarians as soon as the 2012/2013 season starts.

3. Arjen Robben Might Leave Bayern

The injury-prone Arjen Robben could be on the bench come August 2012 when the Bundesliga kicks off again.

If Xherdan Shaqiri finds himself in a Bayern uniform while Robben is in Ukraine-Poland, the end of Robben's Bayern career could make way for the Swiss starlet.

Xherdan is similar to Arjen in their playing preferences. They are both left footed, they both love playing on the right.

The only problem for Arjen is that he's a tad bit older than Xherdan, eight years to be exact. That spells trouble for the Dutch winger, considering his injuries over the years.