Italy boss Luciano Spalletti has had his say on Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa, who has been struggling for game time so far since moving to Merseyside from Juventus in the summer.
Chiesa played 45 minutes for Liverpool against Southampton in the Carabao Cup but then missed out on the matchday squad for the 6-3 win over Tottenham. In total, he has only made four appearances for his new club to date.
"He goes beyond the obstacle, creates opportunities for the team, stares at you, and goes beyond, creating chances single-handedly," Spalletti said (via Football Italia). "Indeed, he must get more consistent playing time."
He was then asked if it was a mistake for Chiesa to join Liverpool. "I don’t know," he replied. "But perhaps now he knows some things that will help him develop further.
"I think he can help any team in any league, but some steps forward in terms of physical impact are required. We struggled against France’s intensity and physicality, so this is where we need to make a step forward."
"If a player is out for five or six months, you cannot expect [him to be at his best straight away]," Slot said after watching Chiesa against Southampton. "I think what I saw is what you can expect.
Federico Chiesa made his comeback during Liverpool's Carabao Cup game against Southampton
Federico Chiesa made his comeback during Liverpool's Carabao Cup game against Southampton (Image: Getty Images)
"I saw ups and downs. I saw some really good moments and I saw some moments where I felt like, ‘OK, you can do better than this’. For me, that’s completely normal if a player’s been out for so long, plays his first game in five or six months probably (three months)."
Liverpool.com says: It is still too soon to judge whether or not the Chiesa deal will end up proving to be good value. It was always going to be a low-risk, high-reward move.
Ultimately, Liverpool has not managed to get much out of Chiesa so far. As he works his way back up to full fitness, though, Slot will remain patient. Thankfully, there are enough attacking options for Chiesa not to be relied on and for him to be viewed as a bonus.