Federico Chiesa is expected to move from Juventus to Liverpool before the transfer window closes.
The 26-year-old Italian winger is on his way to Liverpool to undergo a medical, with the Reds reportedly paying just £10.9 million (€13 million) for his services.
In an era of inflated transfer fees, with Oliver Skipps joining Leicester for double the amount and Julian Alvarez joining Atletico Madrid for almost £80 million, the relatively small fee for the 2020 European Championship winner seems like a real bargain.
So how did Arne Slot manage to get such a good deal? Read on as we take a look at the various reasons.
Chiesa’s injuries
Chiesa joined Juve in 2020 after making a brilliant breakthrough in Serie A with Fiorentina and was considered one of Italy’s brightest talents at the time.
And after starring in the Azzurri’s triumphant European Championship campaign in 2021, he was one of the hottest players in Europe with numerous clubs willing to pay a hefty sum, perhaps even four times what he is now demanding.
But a series of injuries meant that his development did not quite meet expectations and he was almost forgotten.
His 2021–22 season started well but was over in January after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a match against Roma, limiting his Serie A appearances to just 14 this season.
He had to wait until November 2022 to return and although he regained his form, he only scored two goals and provided five assists in 21 games.
Last season, however, Chiesa was back to his best, appearing in 33 of Juve’s 38 league games, scoring nine goals, and also started all four of Italy’s Euro 2024 matches this summer.
🚨🔴 BREAKING NEWS: Federico Chiesa is moving to Liverpool, here we go! Agreement on a €13 million transfer fee plus additional services.
Four-year contract for Chiesa as Liverpool’s new player, to be sent off later today.
Chiesa accepted Liverpool immediately. The deal is DONE.
Exclusive story confirmed. 🔐🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/Yx7hdQwkd4
– Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) 28 August 2024
Mot in my plans
But while his fitness looks as good as it once was, his role in the Juventus team became more unclear last season.
Under Massimiliano Allegri, he was used as one of the strikers alongside Dusan Vlahovic, which proved difficult for a player who mostly does his good work on the outside positions.
And even after the inauguration of new coach Thiago Motta, Chiesa’s days at Juve seemed to be numbered.
The former Bologna head coach has assembled a younger team this summer that better suits his style of play, and although the international, only 26 years old with 51 appearances, does not fall into that category.
Chiesa has just one year left on his contract and he has made it clear that he has no intention of extending his stay in Turin.
The Old Lady will therefore have to sell their star this summer to avoid losing him for nothing, and for this reason he has been excluded from Motta’s first-team squad.
Chiesa has not played in either league game this season and it looks like he has now played his last game for the Italian giants.
Does Liverpool need Chiesa?
Federico Chiesa speaks ahead of his move to Liverpool 🔴 pic.twitter.com/xcpVBVUuCE
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) 28 August 2024
Although it is a smart deal, there is some debate as to whether Liverpool need to add another striker to their already strong squad.
Slot has inherited a squad that includes many options such as Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and of course Mohamed Salah.
Egyptian star Salah is perhaps the reason why Chiesa is coming, as there are few other options who naturally play on the right like Chiesa.
Salah has scored in each of the Reds’ two Premier League games so far, but the 32-year-old’s future continues to be a source of speculation.
Chiesa’s arrival not only allows the Reds to plan for life without Salah at Anfield, but also allows them to reduce Salah’s playing time later in the season – with a natural replacement for their star striker who was missing last season.
Chiesa will likely make brief appearances as a substitute to start with, but he is a player who can really make a difference, which can only bode well for Slot’s promising first season at Anfield so far.
