Moenchengladbach target Basel pair

Borussia Moenchengladbach have been linked with FC Basel duo Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka by reports in Germany.

After the announcing Marco Reus and Roman Neustadter would leave at the end of the 2011/12 Bundesliga season, sporting director Max Eberl pledged to reinvest the money recouped from the former’s 17.5 million-euro sale to Borussia Dortmund.

Moenchengladbach could also lose defender Dante due to a five million-euro buy-out clause, while midfielder Juan Arango is out of contract at season’s end.

Lucien Favre’s side are reportedly targeting two new midfielders and a striker, and Der Spiegel claims Basel youngsters Shaqiri (20) and Xhaka (19) are heading the list.

Moenchengladbach will face stiff competition in their bid to sign the Switzerland international pair from the Swiss Super League champions.

Bundesliga rivals Hamburg are believed to have made an official bid for Xhaka, said to be in the range of seven million euros.

Shaqiri – rated at 15 million euros – has been linked with the likes of Lille, Porto, Dynamo Kiev and Barcelona.

Gladbach are also reportedly keen on bringing in one of Wolfsburg’s outcast strikers, either Srdjan Lakic or Patrick Helmes.

Shaqiri and Helmes have contracts that run until June 2014, while the deals of Xhaka and Lakic are set to expire a year later.