EURO 2020 could prove to be something of a lucrative shop window for Liverpool this summer.
As well as an extra opportunity to scout potential transfer targets, Jurgen Klopp will be hopeful his current stars can stay injury-free and enjoy successful tournaments.
Excluding the departing Gini Wijnaldum and Ozan Kabak, the Reds saw eight players named in their respective nations preliminary squads for this summers continental competition.
While the majority are key men for Liverpool and will remain so heading into the new season, EURO 2020 offers some of the Reds lesser-seen players the opportunity to showcase their talents and potentially earn summer moves.
Neco Williams is one such player. Having seen Liverpool reject a loan offer for his services from Southampton in January, the 20-year-old will be looking to impress for Wales ahead of a potential temporary exit after the tournament.
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However, the futures of compatriot Harry Wilson and Xherdan Shaqiri are far more uncertain.
The playmakers have been called up by Wales and Switzerland respectively and will face off in Baku on June 12, with the two nations drawn in Group A alongside Italy and Turkey.
And with starting opportunities limited at Anfield, the pair could both use the tournament to help attract potential suitors this summer.
Wilson enjoyed a successful year on loan at Cardiff City last season, recording seven goals and 12 assists from 37 Championship appearances, after a permanent transfer failed to materialise before the close of the summer window.
Having made just two appearances for Liverpool, the 24-year-old is likely to crave that permanent exit this time around after a succession of loan moves in the past.
Meanwhile, after seeing a transfer fall through last summer, Shaqiri played a bit-part role for the Reds over the 2020/21 season as he made just seven starts from 22 appearances.
With Liverpool looking to raise funds as they continue to navigate the financial ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic, they will be open to selling the duo.
However, their financial expectations are likely to have lowered as a result of the pandemic, having previously demanded starting bids of £20m for either player.
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But despite their limited game-time on Merseyside, the Reds hopes of commanding higher fees for both Wilson and Shaqiri could be enhanced thanks to EURO 2020 should the duo impress on the international stage.
And former Red Joe Allen offers the perfect example to both players and Liverpool.
A £15m signing from Swansea City in 2011, injuries ensured the midfielder failed to fully cement his place in the Reds side during his four years on Merseyside with him falling down the pecking order following Brendan Rodgers departure.
Nothing more than a squad player for Jurgen Klopp, he made just eight Premier League starts during 2015/16 as he totalled 37 appearances in all competitions.
Yet he was a key player for Chris Colemans Wales, and, having helped them qualify for their first major competition since 1958, was about to enjoy the tournament of his life.
An ever-present in France, the only minutes of EURO 2016 he missed came when Wales were already 3-0 up against Russia in their final group game, having set up their opener, to leapfrog England and finish top.
Beating Northern Ireland in the round-of-16, Allen then helped Wales clinch a famous 3-1 quarter-final victory over Belgium only to suffer a 2-0 semi-final loss to eventual winners Portugal.
With his performances earning him a place in the UEFA Team of the Tournament, interest in Allen after EURO 2016 was high as Stoke City and Swansea City vied for his signature with the midfielder eventually completing a £13m move to the Potters.
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And while sold at a minor loss, the fee still represented more than Liverpool could have hoped to have received for a squad player prior to the European Championships.
Should Wilson and Shaqiri enjoy a similar impact as Allen, interest in the duo will soar with the Reds on hand to benefit.
And, with the former a youth team graduate and the latter a £13.5m bargain buy thanks to a release clause back in 2018, Liverpool are only set to profit when the time comes for the duo to move on.
By how much remains to be seen but if Wilson and Shaqiri can steal the international stage, the Reds might not have to lower their pre-COVID asking-prices after all.
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