Federico Chiesa has been linked with a departure from Liverpool throughout the summer transfer period, but with just 20 days left before the window closes, he is still at Anfield.
The 27-year-old has drawn significant interest from clubs in Italy, his home country, after making only 14 appearances under manager Arne Slot last season. He was also an unused substitute during the Community Shield match against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
There are conflicting reports about whether Chiesa’s exit will be a loan or a permanent transfer, though a permanent move might become an option if one key transfer takes place first.
Liverpool unlikely to sell Chiesa this month
In his recent Substack column, journalist David Lynch discussed several Liverpool players with uncertain futures this summer, including Chiesa.
Regarding the Italian, Lynch noted: “A return to Italy has long been expected for Federico Chiesa after a disappointing first season at Anfield. That still seems likely, though the possibility of Liverpool finalizing a permanent deal appears to be decreasing as the deadline approaches.
“Atalanta is reportedly interested, and if they manage to sell Ademola Lookman, they could have enough funds to complete a deal for Chiesa. Otherwise, the 27-year-old will likely pursue a loan move, as he doesn’t fit into Arne Slot’s plans for the upcoming season.”
Chiesa needs a fresh start, but hopefully Liverpool don’t sell him yet
Could former Everton player Lookman (who scored only four goals in 48 appearances) be the key to freeing up funds for Atalanta to sign Chiesa permanently?
Atalanta is said to want to sell their 2024 Europa League final hero for €50 million (£43.2 million) this month, and if that transfer goes through, it might give Ivan Juric’s team the financial capability to buy Liverpool’s number 14.
The fact that Chiesa wasn’t brought on at Wembley, despite a quiet game from Mo Salah and the match going to penalties, suggests that Slot doesn’t really see him fitting into the squad. This is unfortunate considering Chiesa’s talent and his popularity among Liverpool fans.
While it would be disappointing to see Chiesa leave Liverpool permanently now, a loan might be a good option if he’s going to struggle for playing time, provided he can stay injury-free and become a regular starter elsewhere.
After a tough couple of years—being sidelined at Juventus and largely ignored at Liverpool—Chiesa certainly deserves a change of luck. Hopefully, his story at Merseyside isn’t over, even if he needs to take a step back temporarily to move forward later.
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