Former Juventus striker Alessandro Matri has warned his old club against trying to re-sign Federico Chiesa from Liverpool
Federico Chiesa has been linked with a Liverpool transfer exit once again(Image: (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images))
Federico Chiesa has been linked with a return to Juventus this month with the Liverpool forward remaining limited to a bit-part role at Anfield. But Alessandro Matri has urged his old club to steer clear of the Italian.
The Reds signed Chiesa from the Old Lady in August 2024 in an initial £10m deal after he was deemed surplus to requirements by former manager Thiago Motta.
Yet the 28-year-old struggled with fitness issues during his first season on Merseyside as he found himself low down the pecking order and left on the fringes by Arne Slot as Liverpool won the Premier League title.
And while he has featured more under the Dutchman during the current campaign, his starting opportunities have remained limited.
The Italy international has made 34 appearances for the Reds to date, returning four goals and four assists.
Yet he has only started seven times for Liverpool, with only one of those coming in a first-choice XI – against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League last month.
Consequently, he continues to be linked with a move away from Anfield, with Chiesa looking to earn an international recall ahead of the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Reports in Italy claim Juventus want to re-sign the forward on an initial loan deal, though it is understood that Liverpool have so far received no contact, either formal or informal, regarding a move.
But Matri, who scored 31 goals from 92 appearances across two separate stints for the Old Lady is sceptical about such a transfer and believes a return to Turin for Chiesa would be ‘a waste’.
“No, no. No, because it’s a position where, in my opinion, there’s already a player too important for Juventus,” he said on DAZN, as quoted by All Juventus. “So signing Chiesa to be (Kenan) Yildiz’s deputy seems like a waste to me.
“I’d make an investment to cover another position on the pitch. He’s certainly a player of great quality, and I think (Weston) McKennie in his role, more than Chiesa, brings much more balance to this team.”
Meanwhile, Juve manager Luciano Spalletti, who previously coached Chiesa with Italy, played down such speculation about a move for the Liverpool forward earlier this month.
“I am pleased you are giving me this news, seeing as we haven’t even had a meeting yet on the transfer market,” he said, per Football Italia.
“But it’s the first I’ve heard of it. For the moment, it’s just thrown out there, but absolutely nothing concrete behind it.”
