OMNISPORT

Inter coach Roberto Mancini rubbished suggestions attacker Xherdan Shaqiri could already be on his way out of the Serie A club.

Reports suggested the Switzerland international, who signed a four-and-a-half year deal in January, may leave with Inter unlikely to qualify for European competition.

But Mancini said the reports were untrue, and he sees a big future for the 23-year-old at the club.

"This Shaqiri thing is completely made up," he said.

"We bought Shaqiri last January because we think that he can have a big future at Inter. Then during the season, there might be a moment when a player's form drops, and there are other players that in that moment are able to step in. So that's the only situation going on right now.

"Shaqiri has our full confidence. He is our player. Then he has also changed his team, so it's normal that he might struggle at a certain stage.

"It's not that he can join a new club and altogether be the one that single-handedly wins games by himself.

"He will always have a drop in form at a certain stage so in that moment there are other players ready to step in - they are normally there for that reason. So one only plays when he deserves to play."

Mancini believes Shaqiri, who has scored once in 11 league appearances for Inter this season, can play an enormous role for his team in 2015-16.

"Well, we bought Shaqiri because we believe in his qualities," Mancini said.

"Then if Bayern [Munich] decided to sell him, it's because they have so many players that eventually they have reached the conclusion that Shaqiri is a young player and that he needs to play.

"Inter could be the right solution for him and we are happy about this. I agree with the coach [Ottmar Hitzfeld]. I am sure that Shaqiri next season will achieve great things."