Reports indicate that Federico Chiesa will stay at Anfield next season now that Andoni Iraola has replaced Arne Slot as manager of Liverpool.
Tutto Juve journalist Mirko Di Natale has contradicted claims that Liverpool will sell Chiesa this summer, saying that the player wants to stay and that he will only be sold if the club decides to insist on him leaving. He wants to fight for a place under Iraola.
He reports: “Chiesa wants to stay at Liverpool. Beyond the links to Italian clubs like Como and Juventus, the player is determined to earn a starting spot with the new coach Iraola. Only the decision to put him on the market could change the current situation.”
???Federico #Chiesa vuole restare al #Liverpool. Al di là degli accostamenti a club italiani come #Como e #Juventus, il giocatore è determinato a conquistarsi un posto da titolare col nuovo allenatore #Iraola. Solo la scelta di metterlo sul mercato potrebbe cambiare la… pic.twitter.com/cfYQSjzSdX
— Mirko Di Natale (@_Morik92_) June 14, 2026
Two years remain on Chiesa’s reported £180,000 per week contract, which will expire in 2028. The Italian didn’t find it easy to come by game time under Arne Slot, who didn’t seem to have much faith in his ability, playing just 726 minutes last season. His chances to feature under Iraola will improve, although Liverpool plan to sign at least one elite winger to replace Mohamed Salah, so it’s not a guarantee that he will start every week.
Who else will be vying for an attacking, starting role under Andoni Iraola?
Rio Ngumoha is also likely to play even more next season, but the young starlet will not be a guaranteed starter either. It’s not really a case of ability, but it has more to do with the risks involved in overplaying young players. As a 17-year-old, his body isn’t finished developing, and so playing more than the 1,065 minutes he played this season will increase the risk of career-threatening injuries.
Cody Gakpo, if he stays at Liverpool amid links to Spurs, will duke it out with Ngumoha for a starting role, although links to Bradley Barcola will make it hard for either to start games if he joins.
That said, it’s unlikely for Barcola to join if reports are true that Yan Diomande will be signed in a £100m+ marquee move. The Ivory Coast star, however, is a right winger which would mean Gakpo and Ngumoha would not have any additional competition for minutes.
