From hope to doubt: Liverpool's unexpected crossroads

After a difficult start to his Liverpool career, Federico Chiesa is looking for a loan move back to Italy to revive his career. Napoli are in pole position to challenge for the talented winger, but a deal won't be easy.

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One of the most enticing transfers of last summer's market was that of Federico Chiesa to Liverpool. After weeks of negotiations with Juventus and rumors linking him to AC Milan, Napoli and FC Barcelona, Chiesa eventually found a home in England. Arne Slot reinforced his attacking lineup with a new, highly talented player, joining the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Díaz, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Núñez. For Federico Chiesa, this first adventure outside of Italy, after spells at Fiorentina and Juventus, was seen as a golden opportunity to regain his form after a cruciate ligament rupture in 2022.

However, the Italian winger has been unable to escape the negative spiral he's been in for several years. The Reds and the Premier League were supposed to give him the boost he needed to revive his career, but so far Federico Chiesa has spent more time on the sidelines than on the pitch.

"I said before that it made it very difficult for him, because normally in pre-season a player plays three, four or five games and is only out for four or five weeks. Instead, he's been out for so long that it's not easy to get him back to his best, but it's good to see that he's already shown some quality today. But the same thing happens to him as with young players, it's not enough to play at this level, you have to compete with Mo Salah, Cody Gakpo, Lucho, Darwin and Diogo.

But it's good to see that he's back and that he's had some good moments in the game," explained Arne Slot. The former Juventus player remains a big mystery at Liverpool. In fact, since the start of the season, the 27-year-old has only made four appearances in total, or 123 minutes. Before coming on in the League Cup against Southampton, Federico Chiesa hadn't stepped onto a pitch since the end of September.

A hoped-for return to Italy

According to Footmercato.net, the player would like to find minutes and a status befitting his talent. If he doesn't want to leave Liverpool permanently, the Italian forward would seek a loan this winter, preferably in Italy. Several Italian clubs have already requested information: Inter Milan and Napoli are at the top of the list, both determined to strengthen their squad in the race for the Scudetto, but also Fiorentina, who would like to repatriate their former player to take advantage of their formidable start to the season.

Arne Slot's Reds are also open to a loan: "I don't know if we saw things the same way, but I think what I saw is what we can expect. If a player is out for five or six months, you can't expect too much. I've seen highs and lows. I saw some really good moments and I saw moments when I felt he could do better than that. For me, it's completely normal for a player to be out for so long and play his first game in five or six months."