Federico Chiesa left Liverpool staff “concerned” with one performance, which has coincided with a lack of further starts for the club’s only summer signing.
Chiesa will end his first season at Anfield having played fewer minutes than in any previous campaign in his career – including his ACL season at Juventus in 2021/22.
It is a frustrating reality for a player who, having arrived as the sole signing of Arne Slot‘s first transfer window, has been credited for his enthusiasm behind the scenes.
That is unlikely to change either, with Chiesa expected to be made available for transfer at the end of a season that has seen him start just three games.
His last start came at the start of February – almost three months ago – with the 27-year-old only featuring twice more from the bench in the 14 games since that 1-0 loss to Plymouth in the FA Cup.
The Mail‘s Lewis Steele reports that Chiesa’s performance against a struggling Championship side “really concerned” staff.
“It was not good enough and that set him back somewhat,” Steele writes, having already seen his minutes limited as he was “not fully fit or anywhere close to being match-ready” in the first half of 2024/25.
Slot made 10 changes to his side for the trip to Plymouth in the FA Cup third round, with only Caoimhin Kelleher retained and a mix of squad players and youngsters brought in.
Chiesa was making his second start in four games and was one of the most experienced players in the side, but struggled throughout, with This Is Anfield‘s Henry Jackson rating him a four out of 10.
“The Italian simply couldn’t get into the game,” was Jackson’s verdict, “loose on the ball and too often running down blind alleys.”
Though he came off the bench to score in the Carabao Cup final loss to Newcastle, Chiesa’s lack of minutes – and a record of zero starts – since that day at Plymouth is understandable.
With his pedigree from spells with Fiorentina and Juventus along with the Italy national team, he would have been expected to stand up as a key player against a lowly side.
Unable to do that – even given the circumstances of a player without rhythm – Chiesa will have done little to convince Slot he could challenge for a place in the side in the Premier League or Champions League.
Steele describes Chiesa’s future as being “uncertain to say the least,” and while Liverpool may struggle to find an outright buyer, a parting of ways seems likely this summer.
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