Claims that Federico Chiesa could leave Liverpool to return to Serie A this month have not cooled, with near-constant updates from Italy over the winger’s future.
It was back in October that Chiesa was first linked with a move back to Italy on loan, and at the time it seemed nonsensical to suggest that could be the case.
But with the £12.5 million summer signing still struggling to break into Arne Slot‘s first-team squad following a lengthy battle for fitness, the links with an exit have continued.
In the past week alone, reports from Calciomercato, Turin-based newspaper La Stampa and Firenze Viola have all claimed Chiesa could depart Anfield in January.
La Stampa claimed that Napoli, Inter Milan and Atalanta would be open to a deal but would require Liverpool to pay a portion of the winger’s wages, which are said to be around £120,000 per week.
Fiorentina, AS Roma and AC Milan have also been touted as possible destinations if Chiesa does leave Merseyside mid-season.
It is a strange situation, but the persistent rumours – which are almost daily at this stage – could hint activity from the player’s agent as he attempts to secure a move.
However, it could simply be the relentless nature of the rumour mill in Italy, which is known to be one of the most dubious of markets when it comes to football transfers.
Arne Slot has been consistent in his approach with Chiesa, telling reporters after he was left out of Sunday’s 5-0 win over West Ham: “With Federico I’ve said it many times already, we are working on two things.
“We are working on his match fitness and whenever we can, we try to bring him on the bench with the team.
“But he was on the bench during the week and we thought it was better for him to have some extra training sessions instead of joining us, so it’s a constant balance we have to find between getting him fitter and fitter and letting him join the team.”
In a brief update on Friday, the Times‘ Paul Joyce also suggested that the plan is for the No. 14 to stay, explaining that “Slot wants six attackers for his squad and so the focus is on bringing Chiesa up to speed.”
Still, the frequency of reports linking the 27-year-old with a move back to Serie A is certainly intriguing – and it is notable how few Italian players settle in the Premier League, with only nine in the top flight at present.
Liverpool are expecting a quiet January transfer window, with the extension of Rhys Williams‘ loan at Morecambe and the recall of Calvin Ramsay showing the calibre of business likely, but Chiesa’s situation is worth keeping an eye on.
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