Except this was reported in the Guardian and all those "credible" places you like to go on about. Just stop annoying us further. We were in for him and looks like Stoke will beat us to our most important signing. Martinez and board have seriously messed up here if that's the case.
Again, where?
If we wanted Shaqiri badly and it was a straight race, we'd bloody sign Shaqiri.
We might have tentatively expressed interest, maybe wanted a loan before shelling nearly £15m on him and that got rejected, or we might have sent a scout once, or we may have had a limit in mind for what his value was, or Shaqiri's agent used us as a bounce off in negotiations.
Any of those are more likely than us "losing out" on a player in a straight race with Stoke. You really are adding one plus one and coming out with any answer other than two.