The transfer window closes on Friday and reports have emerged that Liverpool are “considering their interest” in Juventus winger Federico Chiesa.
The winger was not top of the list of transfer demands this summer but sporting director Richard Hughes said the club would be “opportunistic”.
Chiesa, who will soon turn 27, appears to fall into that category as negotiations with Barcelona continue to struggle.
Fabrizio Romano broke the story on Monday evening, saying the Reds had made an “initial approach”, while reliable pundit Paul Joyce backed up the report by saying Liverpool were “considering interest”.
The other Merseyside reporters quickly bring the story to life with their own briefings. The Italian will add depth to the attack, but the Reds’ interest falls into an unexpected category.
The talented winger has been on the radar of Liverpool for some time, with reports in 2021 suggesting the club had tried to sign him while he was at Fiorentina.
Chiesa is under contract with Juventus until 2025, but the club are open to negotiations and could attract the attention of Liverpool if they can land him for a ‘cheap’ fee, which is believed to be around £12m. However, given his injury record, the odds are not good.
He tore his ACL in 2021/22 and has since struggled with muscle fatigue and subsequent soft tissue injuries – not ideal given Liverpool’s recent record.
This has led to mixed opinions among fans as to whether the Italian is a good fit, with many questioning whether he is similar to Xherdan Shaqiri or Arthur.
In the end, I’m totally for it. But I also think it’s a little crazy.
— Dan Clubbe (@dan_clubbe) August 26, 2024
It’s a similar feeling to when Liverpool signed Xherdan Shaqiri. Good experience, good player, but he can’t play every week. The squad is good, but it’s not the first team.
— Paul Machin (@ThePaulMachin) August 26, 2024
Federico Chiesa is a Shaqiri buy. He is Salah’s backup and can play across the attacking line.
It’s not a desperate signing, it’s a very good opportunistic signing. It won’t cost much. I convinced him. pic.twitter.com/wyjoYGAYJt
— Shamm (@ShammLFC) August 26, 2024
I said it on the show a few months ago. I don’t know why the league numbers are so bad. Only five Liverpool players played more games than him last season. pic.twitter.com/Re2d0gTfWs
— John Gibbons (@johngibbonsblog) August 26, 2024
Federico Chiesa turns 27 in October. He plays in a position we don’t really need and has had his fair share of injuries.
Strange? #LFC pic.twitter.com/ozidoJR8Q4
— Liverpool Photos (@LiverpoolPhotox) August 26, 2024
Chiesa is just the beginning of the end to the craziest Liverpool transfer window the world has ever seen. pic.twitter.com/uBzhsmv21e
— Anfield Fix (@AnfieIdFix) August 26, 2024
Hughes and Edwards’ move for injury-prone Juventus midfielder Chiesa may have been a good idea after the injury-prone Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo. pic.twitter.com/tYCoBJQ08u
— Sam McGuire (@SamMcGuire90) August 26, 2024
Chiesa is either Arthur or Thiago.
— PartedBeard (@PartedBeard) August 26, 2024
Signing Chiesa doesn’t mean they can’t sign Gordon, Adingra or Minte next summer. It doesn’t mean Shaqiri and Minamino can’t sign Mane or Salah. There’s a big difference between signing depth and signing a key player.
— Rex ????????? (@ThatRexGuy) August 26, 2024
Regardless of whether Liverpool sign Chiesa or not, the fact that the briefing has been released suggests the club are pushing for a move before the deadline, as if nothing happens the club will be shooting themselves in the foot.
If the club can limit the risk of a cheap deal for Chiesa, it would be classed as an ‘opportunistic’ signing, but that takes time to realise, and so does everything else.
