Things are looking bleak for ex-Juve ace Federico Chiesa in England, who was handed an opportunity to play for his Liverpool future when they tackled Brighton & Hove Albion last night.
The club have been in freefall since clinching the league title, with manager Arne Slot giving fringe players a chance to try and prove their worth.
Rejected by Motta
Chiesa, who has over 50 caps for Italy, joined Liverpool in August for €11.9 million (US$13.3m) as he was seen as surplus to requirements at Juve under Thiago Motta.
He was rejected by Motta for tactical reasons. Chiesa has not been able to prove the since-sacked Juve boss wrong, like many of his former team-mates such as Dean Huijsen at AFC Bournemouth.
Yet his four-year deal at Anfield appears to be coming to a close following another insipid display, which lasted just 63 minutes inside the Amex Stadium.
The 27-year-old struggled to make any impact during the 3-2 defeat to Brighton. This was Chiesa’s inaugural Premier League start, his first proper minutes since scoring in the Carabao Cup final loss to Newcastle United in March.
Missing match fitness
Although Chiesa linked the play quite well, he was frequently muscled out by Brighton's powerful defenders and clearly lacked match sharpness.
He was involved in two scoring chances, teeing up Conor Bradley in the opening half and mis-hitting his effort after the interval. It came as no surprise that he was replaced by Juve target Luiz Diaz, and surely the former Italy star will believe that this opportunity passed him by.
Being a shadow of the player who bagged 32 goals in 131 appearances for Juventus, this tame performance reiterated that Chiesa is likely to leave Liverpool this summer. AS Roma, Atalanta, Inter Milan, Lazio, Napoli and even Juventus are closely monitoring his situation.
Napoli seems to be his most likely destination, with a former Juventus head coach potentially at the helm to tackle next season. Although Antonio Conte is the current Napoli manager, there is a strained relationship between him and chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Reunion time
Conte could jump ship after the Serie A season concludes this weekend, with Juve showing great interest in the man that guided them to three league titles.
Max Allegri, sensationally sacked by Juventus following their Coppa Italia triumph last term, is reportedly being lined up should Conte leave with a potential reunion for Allegri and Chiesa.
Napoli are understood to be aiming for a loan with an option to buy, as Chiesa has struggled for form since suffering a serious knee injury in January 2022 that required surgery. There is a strong possibility that part of his salary would be paid by Liverpool.
Chiesa's days at Liverpool appeared to be numbered before last night’s dismal display. He was signed to provide competition and back-up for Mohamed Salah on the right wing, but injuries and fitness issues have limited his impact.
Escape route
When goal machine Salah signed a two-year extension in April, which ended rumors of a lucrative move to the cash-rich Saudi Pro League, Chiesa started to look for an escape route with only Tottenham Hotspur showing any serious interest.
His potential exit has now gathered momentum with serious interest from Serie A sides, and Liverpool open to selling Chiesa.
Yet a loan with a conditional option to buy appears more likely, and he may return to Juventus where his mercurialness down the wing could be witnessed once more.