A well-regarded Liverpool journalist has shed light on why Arne Slot has largely sidelined Federico Chiesa during the Reds’ title-winning season.
Chiesa was Slot’s sole signing in his debut campaign, arriving from Juventus for a modest £10 million fee and agreeing to a four-year deal after being deemed surplus by the Italian club.
The low cost of the deal led many to praise the signing as a bargain for a player of Chiesa’s caliber.
However, despite Liverpool securing their second Premier League title in Slot’s first year, Chiesa has struggled to make an impact, with limited appearances and speculation over a return to Italy surfacing as early as January.
The 27-year-old has only featured in four league matches and needs one more appearance in the remaining fixtures to qualify for a winner’s medal.
Although he scored in the Carabao Cup final loss to Newcastle, Slot has consistently opted against using the ex-Fiorentina winger, who has been well down the attacking pecking order.
Chiesa didn’t appear in the decisive 5-1 win over Spurs, and Daily Mail reporter Lewis Steele offered insight into the reasons behind his lack of involvement.
Liverpool’s coaching staff reportedly had concerns about Chiesa’s condition.
“In the first half of the season, it was clear Chiesa wasn’t fit or close to match sharpness,” Steele said. “His FA Cup performance at Plymouth, where Liverpool were eliminated, was especially worrying to the staff and pushed him further out of contention.
“He’s had a few promising moments—like his contribution in the Brentford win and his goal at Wembley—but overall, he hasn’t had a real opportunity to prove himself to Slot and his team.
“Another factor is that he’s sixth in the pecking order among attackers, so others are rightly getting picked ahead of him. It’s a tricky situation for Chiesa, but I do expect him to get some game time in the final few matches.”
Chiesa’s only full game came in the disappointing FA Cup defeat to Championship side Plymouth, while his longest Premier League outing was a 13-minute cameo against Bournemouth.