Federico Chiesa: Cut-price Italy international ticks boxes for Liverpool with his quality, versatility and experience
Federico Chiesa joins Liverpool in £12.5m deal from Juventus; Italy forward had just one year left on his deal with Juve and becomes Arne Slot's second signing as Reds boss; Chiesa can play across the frontline and has recovered well from an ACL injury in 2022
Thursday 29 August 2024 19:02, UK
Federico Chiesa is exactly the kind of opportunistic signing Liverpool were targeting in this window.
At low cost - just £10m up front, plus £2.5m in add-ons - and with his catalogue of attributes which allow him to operate in a number of attacking positions, Chiesa ticks a lot of boxes.
The signing of Chiesa has so many hallmarks of being a Liverpool signing under the data-guided approach installed by Michael Edwards, the club's former sporting director who is now FSG's CEO of football.
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Those well-versed in Liverpool's recruitment policy will spot familiar tenets: incredible value in a low-risk potentially very high-reward move, a player written off due to situational circumstances rather than his clear quality; one that hasn't reached his ceiling yet who possesses a wealth of experience at the highest level, with plenty to prove and the ability to operate in several positions.
At the cut-price (thanks to Chiesa's contract at Juventus running out this season) the deal was a no-brainer for someone of the Italian's pedigree.
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Chiesa is a unique creator with the black mark against him being the serious cruciate ligament tear he suffered in January 2022, which gave rise to repeated niggles and reduced the potency of the stardust he sprinkled on Euro 2020.
The injury saw Liverpool shelve their initial interest in Chiesa, which was sparked while he was at Fiorentina and escalated throughout 2021.
The appeal was his two-footedness, ability to play as an explosive winger on either flank, a right or left midfielder, second striker and even as the focal point of the attack, as former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri once declared.
The 26-year-old's rapid acceleration, strength in the dribble, and desire to take his marker on marries well with Liverpool's identity.
Even at his brilliant best, the club felt Chiesa hadn't been properly unlocked. Now, after his injury issues - he posted over 3000 minutes for club and country last season while still hitting an eye-catching top speed - the thinking is that a very talented player just needs the right conditions to thrive.
Liverpool are more suited to Chiesa's strengths than Juventus. While his low goal contributions will be flagged as an issue, the recruitment team are more focused on his scalable output, shot volume, progressive carries, chance creation, dribble efficiency and other significant metrics.
The basis of an elite performer is there to be elevated.
'Chiesa suffered from Allegri's style'
Italian football expert Mina Rzouki on Sky Sports News:
"Juventus fans are up in arms about him leaving, because of the promise he's shown - he was meant to be the future of the team.
"It hasn't really worked out. It's very difficult to blame the player for all of this, when he arrived he took the club by storm.
"He was brilliant to watch under Andrea Pirlo, so agile, direct and mobile and was always coming to Juventus' rescue.
"But he suffered an ACL injury in January 2022, and we're yet to see him coming back to the player we're used to.
"Unfortunately, it seemed like under Max Allegri, who played a more cautious style of football, it wasn't great for the attackers at Juventus.
"When it came to Thiago Motta taking over, it seemed like this was his opportunity.
"But with one year on his deal, nothing agreed and rumours about him wanting so much money, Juventus want to be sustainable and Motta decided he's not the type of player who will fit into his plan.
"He needs a place where he can start - but I'm not sure he's going to get that at Liverpool either."
