Stoke City target Xherdan Shaqiri inadvertently poses with terror suspect Shefqet Krasniqi

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Xherdan Shaqiri unwittingly posed for photograph with terror suspect
Imam Shefqet Krasniqi approached Shaqiri and asked for picture in Kosovo
Krasniqi was arrested as part of US-backed anti-terror raid last year
He was suspected of recruiting jihadists to fight in Syria but later released
Shaqiri is close to completing a £12m move to Stoke City from Inter Milan

Published: 07:18 EST, 5 July 2015 | Updated: 07:39 EST, 5 July 2015

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Stoke City transfer target Xherdan Shaqiri has played down photos of him with radical cleric and terror suspect Shefqet Krasniqi.

The Switzerland international, who is close to completing a £12m move from Inter Milan, posed for the picture during a visit to his home country of Kosovo.

The 23-year-old midfielder insisted he was unaware of the identity of Krasniqi when the imam came up and shook his hand in Pristina.

Stoke City transfer target Xherdan Shaqiri inadvertently posed for photographs with terror suspect Shefqet Krasnigi during a recent visit to the Kosovan city of Pristina

Shaqiri insists he was unaware of the identity of the imam, who was arrested on terror charges last year

Krasniqi, who is imam of the city's largest mosque, was one of 15 arrested as part of a US-backed operation last September on suspicion of terrorism and inciting racial hatred.

They were suspected of trying to recruit Islamic jihadists to fight in Syria but later released.

Former Bayern Munich star Shaqiri said in a post on his Facebook page: 'A picture of the imam Shefqet Krasniqi and myself has caused a lot of unnecessary fuss.

'He approached me and asked for a photo, the same as thousands of other people have done. I posed for one as it would have been rude to refuse his request.

Shaqiri, who joined Inter Milan from Bayern Munich back in January, is close to a move to Stoke City

Shaqiri made 20 appearances for Inter during the second-half of the season but could soon be on the move

'I did not know that the imam was linked to terrorism. I can't check the character of every fan who wants to take a photo of me.

'We Shaqiris are observant Muslims, but we are a long way from everything extreme.'

Stoke manager Mark Hughes had wanted to sign Shaqiri last summer but he opted to join Inter in January instead.

Despite making 20 appearances for the Italian side in the second-half of the season, they started listening to offers this summer and Stoke have outbid Everton in an effort to sign him.