A closer look at Federico Chiesa's current situation at Liverpool after a rare start for the Reds in the FA Cup win over Brighton on Saturday
Federico Chiesa failed to take his chance against Brighton
Federico Chiesa failed to take his chance against Brighton
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As cult hero figures go, few have been as popular in recent years at Liverpool as Federico Chiesa. The anthem that booms out from the Kop every week is proof enough of that.
But as the halfway point of the four-year deal he signed in 2024 nears, it is difficult to suggest the £12.5m capture from Juventus has proven to be a masterstroke from sporting director Richard Hughes.
Chiesa failed to take his chance on Saturday night in a rare start for Arne Slot's Reds as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 in the FA Cup. Entrusted to lead the line to give Hugo Ekitike some much-need rest time, the Italian struggled to make a telling impact, offering little thrust as the No.9 on the night.
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In full fairness to the former Juve forward, that was just his ninth start as a Liverpool player and only two of those have come in the Premier League to date. Last May's run-out at Brighton, when the title had already been secured, was followed up by the December victory over a rock-bottom Wolves side.
That's how it has tended to be for Chiesa at Anfield; a man for the small occasion, filling in gaps when needed in cup games and dead-rubbers. There is nothing wrong with such a status at a club the size of Liverpool but at the age of 28, the Italy international must surely be fearful that what should be his prime years are starting to pass him by.
Chiesa has opted to shun a handful of international call-ups for Genarro Gattuso's Italy in favour of getting up to speed with the intensity demanded at Anfield with the Azzurri coach admitting in November: “We know well what we tell each other, and I must respect what the player tells me. I can’t say anything else. Yes [it was Chiesa's decision not to join], it’s already the fourth or fifth time that I’m explaining this.”
From a club perspective, such dedication is admirable and it is easy to see why the former Fiorentina star is viewed as such a likable character behind the scenes. Low maintenance with a genuine desire to improve, Chiesa has rarely been an issue for Slot, despite starting just nine of the 95 games played during his time on Merseyside.
Liverpool felt his experience, profile and quality could help and the initial belief from inside the club when he joined was that it was a potentially shrewd move, particularly if he could rediscover some of the form displayed when Italy won the European Championship in 2021.
Anfield insiders, in fact, pointed to that period of his career when he was spoken about as an £80m player as evidence for why the relatively lost-cost deal could prove to be so inspired. The likes of Pedro Neto (£52m to Chelsea), Georginio Rutter (£40m to Brighton) and Joao Felix (£46m to Chelsea) were all held up as deals that Chiesa could, in time, show why he was such a bargain for the Reds.
And the early weeks of this season hinted at that. After an expertly-taken volley in the opening night win at home to Bournemouth - to make it 3-2 in the closing stages - he shone in a 2-1 win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup in September.
Speaking after that win, where he claimed assists for both goalscorers Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitke on the night, the 28-year-old spoke effusively of his determination to make this term a more fruitful one than the previous campaign, when fitness issues dogged him.
"I play for a top club," he said at the time. "This is maybe one of the top three in the world. It's Liverpool – of course they are going to buy top players; of course, the competition is high. If I don't want competition, I go to another team. But I want the competition, I want to play here and I think, at the end of the day, competition helps you to become a better player."
It's difficult to envision now where Chiesa finds those minutes to catch the eye further. The FA Cup has taken on greater prominence this term and the battle for the Champions League - both in the Premier League and the European Cup itself - means opportunities are only likely to come off the bench.
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Competition, even with the absence of Isak, whose recuperation from surgery on a broken leg, is fierce for Chiesa and the opportunities have been few and far between, meaning he has been asked to showcase his talents in short windows, often in much-changed teams.
That, for any player, is difficult but Liverpool's low-cost gamble to bring him in from Juventus nearly two summers ago has yet proven to be a roaring success. Beyond being the recipient of one of the most talked-about terrace anthems of recent years, the reality is of a player looking like a spare part at a time when Liverpool's forward line is evolving.
The departures of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, the additions of Isak and Ekitike, the ordinary form of Cody Gakpo and the uncertainty surrounding Mohamed Salah all should have contributed to paving out some fertile ground for Chiesa at Anfield.
He remains, however, still tethered to the same status he held when he arrived at the club nearly 18 months ago. And with the forward department potentially set for a second makeover this coming summer, it feels increasingly like Chiesa may not fit in.
It's no surprise, given his lack of game-time, that speculation has always followed the forward around and every window since his move to Merseyside has seen questions over Italian interest resurface. It would be no surprise at all if this summer was the same.
Liverpool insisted last month that there had been no plans to offload the attacker but the end of the season may yet bring about a rethink from all concerned.
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