Liverpool’s one and only summer transfer signing saw Federico Chiesa (£7.0m) arrive from Juventus in late August.
The Italian winger has signed a four-year deal with the Merseyside club for £10m. There is a further £2.5m in potential add-ons.
So, how will the 2020 European Championship winner affect the game-time of Liverpool’s attackers – and can he present himself as a Fantasy target in the longer term?
We run the rule over the 26-year-old midfielder’s credentials in this Scout Report.
FEDERICO CHIESA: THE HISTORY
| Competition | Starts (sub apps) | Goals | Assists | |
| 2023/24 | Juventus | 25 (8) | 9 | 2 |
| 2022/23 | Juventus | 6 (15) | 2 | 5 |
| 2021/22 | Juventus | 11 (3) | 2 | 2 |
| 2020/21 | Juventus | 28 (2) | 8 | 8 |
| 2020/21 | Fiorentina | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019/20 | Fiorentina | 31 (3) | 10 | 6 |
| 2018/19 | Fiorentina | 34 (3) | 6 | 3 |
| 2017/18 | Fiorentina | 35 (1) | 6 | 5 |
| 2016/17 | Fiorentina | 17 (10) | 3 | 2 |
When Chiesa broke into the Fiorentina side in the 2016/17 season, he had a lot to live up to. His father Enrico had played 59 times for La Viola, scoring 34 goals, and turned out for the Italian national team in the 1990s.
But the Chiesa name didn’t weigh too heavily on the figlio d’arte’s shoulders. Federico quickly established himself as one of the most exciting attacking talents in the country. Although not as prolific as his father, his pace and dribbling skills won him the affection of the Fiorentina faithful. That was, until, he moved to their hated rivals Juventus.
The winger ended up registering 26 goals and 16 assists in 137 Serie A appearances for the Tuscan side.
Chiesa proved a success at Juventus, too, scoring 21 goals in 98 appearances across four seasons. He would have undoubtedly produced more than the two goals he managed in each of the 2021/22 and the 2022/23 seasons but for a cruciate ligament injury sustained in January 2022, which limited his game time.
Chiesa also starred on the international stage with some standout performances for Italy at UEFA Euro 2020. He scored a memorable goal against Spain in the semi-final and was named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament after helping the Azzurri lift the trophy at Wembley at England’s expense.
At that time, inquiring clubs were told Chiesa’s transfer fee was in the region of £100m. Liverpool have managed quite the discount.
IN QUOTES
“Federico is at a really good age. He brings experience and talent, but at the same time he brings the potential to keep on getting better and this is something that really excites us.
“I have said all summer that it is not easy to sign players for Liverpool because the standard of players we have is so high but in Federico, I firmly believe we are signing someone who enhances what is already here.
“It’s not just his talents physically; Federico has experience of winning trophies, of course, one with his national team, and dealing with setbacks and challenges. It’s the mentality we want here at Liverpool.
“Not only this, but he is someone who has an incredible work-rate to match his talent.
“He is a player who can make an impact and can help the team, so this is credit to Richard Hughes and everyone involved in bringing him to Liverpool.” – Arne Slot
“I’m a winger. I always play where the coach wants… but, as I demonstrated at the European Championship and with Juve, I’m a winger – right or left.” – Federico Chiesa
“The injury slowed down my career, but it taught me a lot. Before I was probably a more instinctive, a more impulsive player, and maybe my game has changed a little, but not my speed. Now I’m back to being very close to the level I was before the injury.” – Federico Chiesa
“He works really hard on and off the pitch to try to get the best out of him, and he combines this with scoring goals and, like I said, really aggressive without the ball – those are already two characteristics with him. He can play in so many positions: on the right, on the left and maybe even in the middle. It makes him an interesting signing for us.” – Arne Slot
WHERE HE FITS IN AT LIVERPOOL
Mohamed Salah (£12.7m) has been something of a unicorn since he joined Liverpool. Hardly ever injured, constantly delivering end product, he is a manager’s (and an FPL manager’s) dream. But the Egyptian King is 32 and, as things stand, in the final year of his contract at Anfield. Arne Slot needs to prepare for a post-Salah world as well as a season in which the twin demands of Champions League and Premier League football will be more onerous than ever.
At first glance, then, Chiesa appears to have been bought as quality cover for Salah. Indeed, according to Transfermarkt.com, the Italian has been most utilised on the right wing in his career.
However, as the below graphic also shows, Chiesa is a highly versatile attacker:
In other words, he can play anywhere up front or on either flank. Therefore, he will provide competition for the following:
- Right wing: Mohamed Salah, Harvey Elliot
- Left wing: Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota
- Striker: Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo
- Attacking midfield: Dominik Szoboszlai, Harvey Elliott, Alexis Mac Allister
So if Slot decides he wants to rest Salah, or bring him off after 59 minutes, Chiesa is the first replacement, as right wing is his most natural position.
Equally, Chiesa can slot in on the left should Luis Diaz‘s (£7.6m) form or fitness desert him. He could even play down the middle, Diogo Jota‘s (£7.6m) injury-proneness and Darwin Nunez‘s (£7.3m) erraticness permitting.
FEDERICO CHIESA: THE FPL PROSPECTS
Chiesa’s pedigree outweighs his £7.0m price tag and he has the quality to break into the side eventually – if he can stay fit.
Having had an injury-free first five years as a senior pro, fitness issues have decimated his post-Euro 2020 career.
His tally of nine goals in 2023/24, and a 16-game season-ending run in which he avoided any lay-off, was perhaps a sign that he is slowly coming back to his best. In fact, his 0.37 goals per 90 last term was better than the 0.34 he managed in his best season to date, 2019/20, when he netted on 10 occasions.
Above graphic via footystats.org
Still, four of Liverpool’s attackers could better that minutes-per-goal average in 2023/24:
And, for a right winger, Chiesa would hope to improve on his assist numbers. The joy of Salah is that when he doesn’t score he generally produces assists. Chiesa’s highest assist return was nine in 2020/21; Salah has bettered that in each of the past three campaigns.
Having taken 50 corners for Juve last season, he would also presumably lose set plays at Liverpool with Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m) and Andrew Robertson (£6.0m) on the scene. Just over 24% of the chances that Chiesa created in 2023/24 came from free-kicks and corners.
Of course, we have to bear in mind mitigating factors. Two of Chiesa’s seasons were a write-off due to his knee injury, while Juventus have been suffocated for years by Massimo Allegri’s dull and conservative tactics.
In fact, you could argue that Chiesa has not been helped by the profligate finishing of his team-mates. Last season he came fifth in Serie A for expected assists with 0.23 and seventh for shot-creating actions (4.79).
Chiesa also performed well for Italy under Roberto Mancini and even this summer under the enlightened Luciano Spalletti – albeit for an Azzurri side lacking in quality. He and Riccardo Calafiori (£5.8m) were probably the only two players who emerged from that tournament with any credit.
So at Liverpool, under a more progressive manager, and surrounded by superior players with an attacking mindset, Chiesa has the quality and potential to kick on.
Chiesa might have to bide his time before he gets his chance to shine, though. With Liverpool playing so well, there is no desperate need to throw him into the action. It will also take time for him to adjust to the pace and physicality of the Premier League.
To that end, Chiesa decided against joining up with the Italy squad in September.
“Chiesa and I spoke and made a fair assessment. I would have brought him as an extra player, not participating in the games.”
“He told me that he had spoken to his new club and that he needs to do specific preparation work with them.” – Luciano Spalletti, Italy head coach
In terms of Chiesa’s own FPL prospects, he’s obviously a no-go at present. Once the Champions League rolls in and the matches start to come thick and fast, we will have a better idea of where Chiesa figures in Slot’s estimations, or whether injuries will open the door for a first-team place.
For now, though, FPL managers are already having to reckon with the intense competition for the three Liverpool places within their own teams, let alone the selection quandaries facing Slot. At present the Reds are the only side to have kept three clean sheets, which heightens the appeal of their goalkeeper and defenders. In the attacking positions, the in-form Salah, Luis Diaz (£7.6m) and Diogo Jota (£7.6m) are presenting major transfer dilemmas. So Chiesa could thrive in FPL, but not for a while yet.
26 days, 9 hours agoRE
Any Brentford fans out here?
What's the consensus on van den Berg? Will he be in Brentford's first 11?
On WC4, considering getting him in as my only Brentford def for the run from GW6 onwards - with the view of starting him in every favourable Brentford fixture.
Already own Greaves and Rico Lewis as well as part of my defense.
Cheers.