STOKE, England -- Stoke City are optimistic they will sign the Inter Milan midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri.
A £12 million move for the Switzerland international broke down earlier this summer but Shaqiri was at the Britannia Stadium to watch Stoke's 1-0 defeat to Liverpool.
And afterwards manager Mark Hughes said they have resurrected their bid for the former Bayern Munich player, who is also a reported target for Everton.
"We have had a preseason of chasing really quality targets," he said in a news conference. "We are hopeful we can do something but until we say players standing in front of the training ground with the shirt in their arms, we will have to see. These things are never easy but we are never hopeful."
Hughes confirmed it will be a permanent transfer as he looks to make Shaqiri his ninth summer signing.
The Welshman praised one of his other recruits, Holland international Ibrahim Afellay, for his performance on his debut. "He was excellent today and showed what a good player he is," Hughes said.
Hughes was annoyed that referee Anthony Taylor did not dismiss Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren, who was booked for elbowing Mame Biram Diouf.
"If it merited a yellow, the referee thinks something untoward has gone on and he has thrown an elbow," he said. "The referee has thought it was a yellow card for an elbow. If that is the case, he was fortunate not to get a red."
Hughes also felt Stoke should have been awarded a first-half spot kick, explaining: "We should have had a penalty when Afellay had a goalbound shot and [Nathaniel] Clyne stops it with both his hands."