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Liverpool boss Arne Slot has the opportunity to freshen up his ranks over the coming weeks
Liverpool are back in action on Monday night against League One side Barnsley in the FA Cup third round. They head into their tie against the Tykes off the back of their 0-0 draw away at Arsenal in the Premier League last time out. The Reds are sat in 4th place in the table after 21 fixtures.
They are inside the top four along with Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa. Arne Slot has the chance to bring in some new faces before the end of the January transfer window. The Dutchman also has the opportunity to offload some players.
Liverpool attacker Federico Chiesa linked with Napoli exit
Liverpool attacker Federico Chiesa has been linked with a move to Napoli. As per Sky Sports, the Serie A giants are ‘interested’ along with Juventus. His contract at Anfield expires in June 2028 meaning he still has over two years left to run down.
Chiesa, 28, has found it hard to get game time since his move to England. He hasn’t been a regular starter under Slot and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him head out the exit door in the near future. A return to Italy would help him get more minutes and get his career back on track.
The Italy international, who has made 51 caps to his name, joined Liverpool back in 2024 to bolster their attacking department. Prior to his move, he had spells at Fiorentina and Juventus in his native country. He has since made 34 appearances in all competitions, 20 of which have come this season, and he has scored four goals.
Liverpool should propose Alessandro Buongiorno swap deal to Napoli
If Napoli make an official swoop for Chiesa, Liverpool should try and get defender Alessandro Buongiorno as part of a swap deal plus cash agreement. They need to find a long-term replacement for Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract in June, and the centre-back would be ideal. At the age of 26, he is already experienced and is coming into his prime.
Buongiorno has played 12 times for Italy and is an international teammate of Chiesa’s. He helped his current club win the title last year, as well as the Supercoppa Italiana. They won’t want to lose him anytime soon and his deal runs out in 2029.
If he joined Liverpool, he would give them more competition and depth at the back. He would be a solid partner alongside Virgil van Dijk. The player is comfortable with the ball at his feet and would therefore suit Slot’s style of play. He said last year: “The Premier League is tempting, but I'm fine in Italy. I dream of winning the Champions League. As a child I watched videos of (Paulo) Maldini and (Alessandro) Nesta, I tried to imitate them, I wanted to be a bit like them.”
Buongiorno started his career at Torino and rose up through their academy. He was a regular at various different youth levels and went on to play 109 games for their first-team, as well as having loan spells away at Carpi and Trapani to get some experience. Napoli came calling in 2024 and he has since become one of their most prized assets, featuring on 45 occasions.
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