Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa is “likely” to leave the club at the end of this season, according to a new claim from reliable journalist Paul Joyce.
The 28-year-old continues to be a peripheral figure for the Reds, with late cameo appearances about the best he can hope for currently.
Chiesa has only started one game in the Premier League this season, coming off the substitutes’ bench 15 times in the competition, even though Arne Slot has praised him earlier in the campaign, saying:
“I see a totally different Federico now than from large parts of last season. It is completely normal because he missed out on the whole pre-season and then came into a Premier League rhythm in terms of the amount of games and in terms of intensity. If he is more available then he has more chances to impact our results or his playing time. But then it is about him staying as fit as he is at the moment.”
Now, according to an update from The Times‘ Joyce, it is “likely” that Chiesa will depart when this season reaches its conclusion, also adding that “reinforcements on the right would be a priority” for Liverpool in the summer, with Mohamed Salah’s future also up in the air.
A Liverpool career that has never got going
Chiesa is loved by many Liverpool fans because of his effort levels and infectious character, but there is no denying that his Reds career has been a disappointment.
He has been far cry from the player who lit up Euro 2020 en route to glory with Italy, at which point Alessandro Pierini lauded him as a “world-class” player.
Chiesa has had injury problems down the years, and has arguably lost a yard of pace, so at this point, it would be a surprise if he was still at Anfield at the beginning of next season.
As Joyce rightly points out, a right-sided attacker has to be a key area of focus for the likes of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, both in terms of replacing Chiesa and making sure an elite successor to Salah is brought in.