Federico Chiesa of Liverpool celebrates with the Premier League trophy after the match against Crystal Palace at Anfield on May 25 2025
Federico Chiesa of Liverpool celebrates with the Premier League trophy after the match against Crystal Palace at Anfield on May 25 2025
(Image: Steven Halliwell | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Federico Chiesa admits he is open to a move back to Italy having seen his opportunities limited at Liverpool. Chiesa featured for just 466 minutes over 14 appearances this season having arrived from Juventus for an initial £10million last summer.
The 27-year-old forward has been continually linked with a return to Serie A, with new champions Napoli among a number of clubs reported to be monitoring developments.
Chiesa is determined to be in the best shape possible for when the Liverpool squad reconvene in July having missed out on much of pre-season training last term after being banished from the Juventus first-team squad by then-boss Thiago Motta.
The attacker hasn't featured in the Italy squad since last summer's European Championship and has made playing in the World Cup a dream, with the Azzurri hoping to qualify for the tournament - which is held in the United States next summer - for the first time in 12 years.
But when asked about a possible return to Serie A and AC Milan in particular - where his former Juventus boss Max Allegri has been appointed in charge - Chiesa said: “That’s something to think about during the summer.
“My family, my agent and I have a great relationship with Liverpool, and the goal is to be ready for the pre-season. We’ll find the best solution for everyone.
“I work every day with a Liverpool programme to be in top shape for the tests on July 8.
"While out of the squad (at Juventus), I was able to train in great condition, but I missed playing friendlies. I had to start from scratch at Liverpool and that held me back.
"I hope (next season) it's my season, my dream is to participate in the World Cup. I played and won a European Championship, the World Cup would be the best."
And of a return to Juventus, Chiesa added: “Never say never. I still love the club and the fans."
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview in Italian news outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, Chiesa also reflected on his debut season with Liverpool working under Arne Slot.
"(It was) positive because you don't win a Premier League every day," he said. "There's the disappointment of not having played enough, but you have to look at the year as a whole: winning is always nice.
"I was missing an experience abroad, after Florence I only moved to Turin. Living in a different culture and context has helped me grow as a man. What struck me about Liverpool was the passion of the fans, the atmosphere at Anfield is something unique.
"(Mohamed) Salah is impressive, Ballon d'Or-worthy. Him or (Cristiano Ronaldo? I'd put both of them in my dream top 11: together they would score 80 goals a season."
Chiesa added: "With Allegri, I played the entire season as a striker and scored a few goals. Slot also decided to play me there, and I’m happy about it. If two winning coaches saw the potential in me to play up front, it means I can do it.
“(Slot) reminds me of Allegri in terms of his winning mentality, but he employs different methods, coming from the Netherlands. Everyone thought he might struggle, but he proved to be a great coach within modern football ideas, and we deservedly won the Premier League.”