Juventus sold Federico Chiesa to Liverpool during this past summer transfer window for a reported £10 million upfront, along with an additional £2.5 million in add-ons contingent on Liverpool winning the Premier League and Champions League.
The 26-year-old has signed a four-year contract at Anfield, reportedly matching his previous wages at Juventus. After spending his entire first-team career in Italy, this move represents a significant change for Chiesa.
Arne Slot recently talked about how Chiesa is adapting to his new environment, noting that he’s not yet fit enough to play a full 90 minutes. As a result, his path to becoming match-ready is gradual, with him making short appearances off the bench for now.
“He’s not quite ready to start yet, but if he’s in the squad, it means he’s available,” Slot told Sky Sports. “We need to get him up to speed because, after the European Championship, he’s been training on his own and hasn’t had many friendlies. He’s working hard, which is great, and he might get a few minutes.”
Arne Slot addresses Federico Chiesa exit rumors
Chiesa has made three appearances in all competitions so far, providing one assist in just 78 minutes of play. Given this limited action, Liverpool might consider sending him out on loan to help him regain his form elsewhere, or they could view this as a missed opportunity.
According to Calciomercato, Chiesa is being linked with a loan move away from Liverpool, with AC Milan, Roma, and Inter Milan emerging as potential destinations. Amid the rumors, Slot was asked about the winger returning to Serie A.
“A return to Italy for him? I have never thought about it,” Slot said (h/t Calciomercato). “I think the first thing to do is to get back in shape, then we will see where he will be.
“In Italy, my recent words have been reported; what I meant to say is that he missed the preseason, and during the preseason, he had low-intensity training sessions because he had to train with three or four players besides the group.
“Transitioning from there to a high-intensity league and a high-intensity playing style is generally difficult for any player, but especially if you have had a preseason like this.
“We already knew this beforehand, so we knew we had to be very careful and adapt as much as possible to his individual needs, but it hasn’t been perfect yet, so we are trying to find the right way to help him grow without overloading him, and this has been difficult so far, but I have full confidence that it will happen.”
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