Summary
Liverpool closed in on the Premier League title with a 3-1 win over Southampton.
Six players came off the bench during the game but Federico Chiesa remained an unused substitute.
Slot's initial praise for Chiesa has turned to doubt, hinting that his future may lie elsewhere.
It was another successful weekend for Liverpool in their hunt for a 20th league title as they were able to come from behind to defeat relegation-threatened Southampton 3-1 on Saturday. Goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah were enough to strengthen their grip on the Premier League crown, and their lead at the top was extended after Arsenal dropped points against Manchester United.
It was yet another perfect gameweek for Arne Slot in what has been a debut season with hardly any blemishes. That being said, for all the positivity at Anfield, the weekend did seemingly offer one final nail in the coffin for one star who has failed to deliver this term.
Federico Chiesa was Slot's only signing during his first transfer window, and many Reds supporters were hopeful of seeing the player who dominated at Euro 2020 and helped guide Italy to glory. That has not been the case, though, and a major decision from his manager at the weekend seems to spell out exactly what the winger's future could hold.
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Chiesa an Unused Sub Against Southampton
Liverpool made six changes during the game but the Italian still didn't enter the fray
Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa in action
The Liverpool boss opted to make a number of changes to his starting XI against the Saints, with a massive Champions League second leg against Paris Saint-Germain on the horizon. However, Chiesa, as he has had to do for most of the campaign when he has been available, began watching on from the dugout.
Considering the level of opposition, it would have been safe to assume that the 27-year-old would get some minutes under his belt in what would likely be a rather comfortable scenario. However, the former Juventus man was one of just two outfield players not to receive any minutes, with the other being youngster James McConnell.
It was a stark reminder of how much Chiesa's stock has fallen at Anfield, as injuries and lack of consistent game time have continuously slowed his progress and stopped him from becoming a major player on Merseyside. At the time of writing, the forward has managed just 10 appearances in all competitions. In fact, in the Premier League, he has only played in 1% of the possible minutes he could have, which is an absurdly small number for a player commanding £180,000-per-week.
Chiesa (1)
What is perhaps more startling, though, is just how quickly his manager appears to have lost faith in him, as Slot's comments on Chiesa from when he first signed to January paint a very different picture of the player the Dutchman has at his disposal.
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Slot's Change in Tone Towards Chiesa
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Upon his arrival in August, Slot spoke of how he believed that Chiesa could play a major role in the team's success over the campaign and explained how excited he was about the Italian joining the club.
"We are really happy to bring Federico to Liverpool," the 46-year-old told the Liverpool website. "I don’t think anyone will need me to tell them about his quality because it has been very clear for a number of years in both club football and international football.
"Federico is at a really good age. He brings experience and talent, but at the same time he brings the potential to keep on getting better, and this is something that really excites us. I have said all summer that it is not easy to sign players for Liverpool because the standard of players we have is so high, but in Federico, I firmly believe we are signing someone who enhances what is already here."
Fast forward to January, and with it being clear that Chiesa had settled in as well as initially hoped, Slot's tune completely changed, casting doubt on the role the Italian could have. He said on the matter, as per Football Italia:
"It’s not only for him been difficult because of all of the things you just said – I’m not going to say all these things again – in terms of match fitness, it’s also that he has to compete with the likes of Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, and Mo Salah.
"So, it’s not only about Federico when we are talking about him being limited in his playing time, it’s also about the others. It’s a combination of reasons why he didn’t play that much yet, but let’s wait and see in the upcoming weeks and months if he’s able to help us, because the second half of the season is even more important than the first half."
Since then, Chiesa has played six times, starting twice — once against Plymouth in the FA Cup and once against PSV Eindhoven in a game that meant very little. It gives a pretty clear answer as to the type of role he is going to play for the remainder of the term, and it seems as though the Reds may be better off cutting their losses rather than keeping hold of a player that will remain a 'what if?'
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All statistics courtesy of Sofascore and Transfermarkt - accurate as of 10/03/2025.