Liverpool are reportedly planning to sell Federico Chiesa when the January transfer window arrives, with the Italian not part of Andoni Iraola’s plans.
The 28-year-old is a player who has been so highly rated in the past, with Alessandro Pierini heaping huge praise on him during Euro 2020, when he won the tournament with Italy:
“Maybe England are favourites but this Italy side play well. Now, even the English play football, but we have more quality. We need to understand whether or not we’ll show that quality on the night.”
“He’s world-class. He has all the ability and desire of a great player. If he improves then he’ll be even better than his father [Enrico]. I have loads of respect for Enrico and all he has done to help Federico come on as a player until now.”
Despite this, Chiesa isn’t the player he was at that point, with injuries catching up with him and very little impact made at Liverpool since he arrived from Juventus in 2024.
According to a new report from Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], the Reds will put the Italian on the market in January, looking for just £12.8m for his services, which perhaps outlines his decline.
Napoli and Inter Milan have been mentioned as potential suitors for Chiesa, with a return to Serie A arguably looking like the most likely outcome currently.
Is January the right time for Liverpool to sell Federico Chiesa?
There is no denying Chiesa’s likeability as a player, with his infectious character not lost on Virgil van Dijk, who has spoken glowingly about his teammate in the past:
“Fede is an amazing character, he works so hard and has been unlucky with injuries but we are all here for him and we all know what kind of impact he could have. He’s a great character and we all love him, I think everyone can see that, and he’s loved by the fans, and to produce moments like he has [against Bournemouth] is something we all want to see.”
Chiesa has only managed five goals and assists apiece in 50 appearances for Liverpool, and while some good moments have been thrown in, this shows how ineffective he has been overall.
Once again, he is unavailable currently, which is no use to Iraola – that isn’t the attacker’s fault, and the fitness issues are cruel to him – and it feels like a matter of time before his Reds career comes to an end.
January is the right time to sell Chiesa for all parties, allowing Liverpool to get his wages off their books and giving him the chance to rebuild his career.
A return to Italy would be good, considering Serie A isn’t as physically demanding, possibly giving him a better chance of staying fit for longer periods.
If and when Chiesa does leave Liverpool, he will be remembered as a much-liked figure who always had a smile on his face, but also a gamble that didn’t pay off when the Reds decided to move for him two years ago.
