Federico Chiesa continues to be linked with a move away from Liverpool during the January transfer window
Federico Chiesa could leave Liverpool in the January transfer window(Image: (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
Liverpool reportedly face the possibility of losing Federico Chiesa in the January transfer window, as the star is ready to make a sacrifice to complete a deal. The winger joined the Reds back in 2024 for just £12.5m, a deal that was viewed as a potential bargain for a star who had shown his quality on the international stage.
Injuries heavily impacted his first season, but with a return to fitness this campaign, it’s clear that Arne Slot has preferred other options. The 28-year-old has played just 528 minutes so far across all competitions, while he has made just one Premier League start – a 2-1 victory over basement boys Wolves.
And now Gazette dello Sport is reporting that Chiesa is looking to make a return to Juventus, and is even willing to take a pay cut to make it happen.
The Italian outlet claims that the winger does not want to move for money, but rather the romantic rekindling of his relationship with the Bianconeri.
Chiesa’s lack of minutes could indicate exactly where he stands in Slot’s pecking order, though the manager himself spoke about his availability and a recent boost in minutes before the match with Barnsley.
He said: “I spoke to him (Chiesa) two days ago, and he said he played more in the recent weeks than he ever did before under me, but he is one of the players that could feature in that game (Barnsley), definitely.”
While those links continue, Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti has played the transfer saga down, saying: “I am pleased you are giving me this news, seeing as we haven’t even had a meeting yet on the transfer market.
“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.”
An exit for Chiesa could see Slot put even more trust and faith into Rio Ngumoha, with the youngster already making quite an impact in the senior side this season.
The 17-year-old already has 298 minutes under his belt for Liverpool this campaign, including a memorable winner against Newcastle early on in the season.
While he largely plays on the opposite side to Chiesa, a swap to the right to play as an understudy to Mohamed Salah would be quite an education for the youngster.
Beyond Ngumoha, there may be a shortage of options on the right to help fill spaces, with Conor Bradley’s injury now likely to force Jeremie Frimpong to play at right-back for the foreseeable future.
