Has the ship ever sailed? Will this ever happen for Federico Chiesa at Liverpool?
Forgotten last season, the Italian winger was once again rather unlucky this time, not having been able to use Mohamed Salah’s situation to his advantage this week.
Indeed, even if the Egyptian had been excluded for the trip to San Siro, Chiesa was unable to embark on this potential opening on the right square, having been forced to miss the meeting with Inter Milan due to illness.
Almost halfway through his second season at Anfield, the former Juventus player – signed for a bargain fee of £13m – remains tied to the periphery, featuring just 29 times in all competitions in total.
Standout moments, such as his crucial ‘winner’ against Bournemouth on matchday one, have helped the 28-year-old achieve cult hero status on Merseyside, although the jury is out on whether he can truly emerge from the shadows.
Latest news on Federico Chiesa’s future
In truth, the Reds achieved Premier League glory last season without the impact of a new signing, with Chiesa – the only senior addition that summer – having been restricted to just six league outings all season.
|
Church – PL registration |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics (*per match) |
24/25 |
25/26 |
|
Games |
6 |
10 |
|
Begin |
1 |
0 |
|
Goals |
0 |
2 |
|
Aids |
0 |
1 |
|
Big missed opportunities |
1 |
1 |
|
Big chances created |
0 |
1 |
|
Key passes* |
0.3 |
0.1 |
|
Success accuracy* |
93% |
74% |
|
Successful dribbles* |
0 |
0.1 |
|
Lost possession* |
2.2 |
3.7 |
|
Statistics via Sofascore |
||
Frequently overlooked by Slot in 2024/25, even increased influence this time around has not altered his position in the attacking pecking order, with all ten of his top-flight appearances coming from the bench.
The man who stepped in to prevent Wilson Isidor from securing a potential winner for Sunderland not long ago, Chiesa has the will to do well, particularly with options that don’t exactly spill down the flanks.
That being said, Slot – such is his neglect of the former Fiorentina star – appears to have other ideas, such has been the winger’s limited playing time, with a January exit still mooted according to recent reports.
As The Athletic reports, the Euro 2020 hero is said to have a “number of admirers” with the winter window now looming, although it would pose a potential “risk” if Liverpool let him leave, given their relatively small pool of attacking alternatives.
That said, Chiesa himself may be keen to push for a change, if his position does not improve, with reports last month suggesting his agent was in talks over a possible move, hoping to force his way back into Italy’s plans ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in March.
A desire to leave would come as no surprise given his lack of usage over the past 18 months, with Liverpool perhaps set to consider the wisdom of signing such a deal.
That said, Chiesa is not alone in this department…
Liverpool’s unnecessary signing belongs to the Rodgers era
As harsh as it may be, Chiesa’s minimal impact would force anyone to conclude that he has been an almost useless signing, with Slot showing little appetite for handing the striker a regular role, albeit injured.
Rightly or wrongly, ‘useless’ is perhaps the word that comes to mind right now when it comes to this summer’s star signing Alexander Isak, with the misfiring Swede once again falling behind against Inter.
Hooked in the 68th minute, having made just 25 touches and registered just one shot, the former Newcastle United player was once again largely a spectator of proceedings at the San Siro, with the excuse of his lack of pre-season now beginning to wear thin.
With just two goals in all competitions for his new team, following that controversial and club-record transfer from St James’ Park, the 26-year-old has already entered disaster signing territory, with Slot and co needing a drastic upgrade before 2026.
There is also a feeling that, while depth is needed, was this a decision FSG really needed to make, given they had already taken Newcastle target Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt?
While Isak has worked hard, the young Frenchman has dazzled, already scoring eight times in just 22 appearances, confirming the belief that he should be the starting striker.
As for Liverpool’s current number nine, Isak appears to be following in the footsteps of notable transfer misfires of the Brendan Rodgers era, echoing the post-Luis Suarez world that saw Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli and Christian Benteke all flatter to deceive at Anfield.
The summer of 2014, following Rodgers’ near title failure, was particularly egregious, with that centre-forward pairing of Lambert and Balotelli ultimately scoring just seven times between them during their brief, forgettable spells on Merseyside.
Perhaps a better comparison is with Benteke, signed a year later, the Belgian – like Isak at Newcastle – looking prolific in the Premier League at Aston Villa, having scored 49 goals in 101 games for the Midlands side.
Just ten of 42 would follow under Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp.
It may be too early to write Isak off just yet and start him with that trio of disastrous Rodgers signings, although on current evidence he looks like the Benteke of 2015.
Let’s hope Ekitike can prove to be the Roberto Firmino…
Fewer touches than Alisson and only 10 passes: Liverpool flop must be abandoned
Liverpool returned to winning ways in Italy, but it was not all positive for Arne Slot.
