Federico Chiesa is close to leaving Liverpool ahead of the summer transfer window with Serie A leaders Napoli making an offer, according to reports.
After sealing their 20th top-flight English title at the end of April in a 5-1 rout of Tottenham, the Reds are already looking forward to a summer of reorganisation.
Arne Slot did incredibly to lift the Premier League title in his first season as Jurgen Klopp’s successor but next term is likely to be even more of a challenge as he attempts to replicate that success.
Liverpool boss Slot only made one signing for this season in his two transfer windows as manager with Chiesa joining from Juventus for a fee that could rise to £12.5m.
The Italy international has played a bit-part role for Slot this season with the former Feyenoord boss refusing to hand Chiesa a Premier League start.
Chiesa has only made 13 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool since signing in the summer with just three of those coming in the starting XI.
READ: Liverpool ‘agree personal terms’ for ‘certain’ transfer as Slot’s dream striker is ‘intrigued’ by move
And now Gazzetta dello Sport insist that Napoli are ‘pushing on the accelerator with the Liverpool executives to define the details’ of a return to Italy for Chiesa.
It is claimed that the Serie A leaders have ‘already made its offer for a loan with the right to redeem, while Liverpool is insisting on an obligation’.
The transfer is now at a ‘very advanced stage’ and the Liverpool winger is ‘enthusiastic about returning to Serie A with a starting place in the Champions League and with the concrete prospect of regaining a shirt in the national team after a year as an extra in Slot’s squad.’
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Former Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchison reckons Chiesa will be great if he returns to Italy in the summer and is unfortunate he had Mohamed Salah in front of him.
When asked if Slot will have a harder challenge next season as the team Klopp built starts to be rebuilt, Hutchison said earlier this month: “I think that’s fair because I think they’ll be judged on his signings. He only made the one signing with Chiesa who, let’s be honest, hasn’t worked. I’m a Chiesa fan, he’ll go back to Italy and I’m pretty sure he’ll be brilliant again.
“He just couldn’t get in ahead of Mo Salah. How do you try and, you know, if Mo Salah’s not injured, how do you try and get into that position when you’re trying to find your fitness?
“So I think Arne Slot will try and do it in a different way next season. I think the signings are going to be important. He can then probably call the team that he’s built next season his own. And then we’ll see how far it takes him.”