Shani Tarashaj’s future will be clarified soon as his loan spell at Grasshoppers Club Zurich comes to an end. The 24-year-old could play his final game for the club against FC Lugano on Saturday evening, wrapping up a dismal season that will end in relegation from the Super League.
Grasshoppers have an option to buy Tarashaj this summer and could make a decision on their former striker when the transfer window opens on June 11. Despite the Swiss international being held in high regard at the Stadion Letzigrund, there are many reasons why they could opt against a permanent switch.
Tarashaj’s failed loan spell will certainly give the club pause for thought. The centre-forward racked up just 171 minutes of Super League football in 2018/19, spending the majority of the season injured, suspended or demoted to the reserves. It’s hard to see why Grasshoppers would look to bring him back this summer, especially considering his potential wage demands.
At Everton, Tarashaj earns £0.78m-a-year/£15k-per-week. A soon-to-be second tier Swiss side can’t afford to match his salary, especially given how poor he’s been over the last nine months. Before his move to Everton in 2016, Tarashaj scored 11 goals in 33 league games. He’s since bagged just two goals in three years (Everton, Eintracht Frankfurt on loan) so it’s clear he isn’t the same player that left.
When the season comes to a close, Grasshoppers will have to make a decision on his future. It’s hard to see a return happening this summer, however.
Crippy Cooke’s previous article
Opinion: Everton could pay £6.2m and £0.78m in wages to sign La Liga centre-back