The Italy winger's recent injury record is an undoubted cause for concern, but the Reds' low-risk gamble could pay off spectacularly
Federico Chiesa was just 22 when he inspired Italy to victory at Euro 2020. For a player coming off the back of a brilliant debut season at Juventus, superstardom beckoned. Alessio Tacchinardi was among those who tipped him to challenge for the Ballon d'Or "in three or four years".
Sadly, Chiesa's career has gone in a very different direction since then. The expected leader of the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era at Juventus was deemed surplus to requirements by new coach Thiago Motta and told to "find a new club as soon as possible", with the Bianconeri board keen to cash in on a player that had just one year left on his contract.
Indeed, so desperate were Juve to get rid of their €60 million (£50m/$67m) signing from Fiorentina in 2020 that they were willing to get rid of him for less than a quarter of that fee. Remarkably, Chiesa had very few suitors – at least among Europe's elite – with many clubs seemingly put off by his recent injury record.
However, with less than 48 hours to go before the close of the summer transfer window, Liverpool have completed the signing of Chiesa for just £10m ($14m). It's a surprising move, and a strange one in some ways, but it could also prove the signing of the season…
Getty Images'Impossible to stop'
After his heroics at Wembley three years ago, first against Spain and then in Italy's final win over England, Chiesa was one of the most coveted players in world football. Bayern Munich were very interested, with then-coach Julian Nagelsmann making no secret of his admiration of the winger. "I've known about Chiesa for a long time," the German told , "and I find him exceptional because he often goes for a one-on-one, and then tries to shoot very quickly."
There was even talk of the Bavarians bidding €100m (£86m/$109m) for his services but, as far as Juve were concerned, Chiesa was priceless. He was to be the cornerstone of their new project, the dazzling dribbler that admired Ronaldo's work ethic and had developed a similar knack of stepping up to the mark in the biggest of games.
"After a season at Juve with Federico, [his performances] are no longer a surprise for me," former team-mate Gigi Buffon told the after the Euros, "but it was not obvious when he arrived that he would be able to play at such a high level in a tournament like the European Championship. He was unbelievable, though. In the final against England, it was impossible to stop him.
“When he joined Juve I didn't think he was so good, I have to be honest, but if you do those things at such a high level, then it means that you are really special."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesInjury and Allegri woe
However, Chiesa's development was cruelly checked by awfully bad lack. Not only has he been blighted by incessant injuries – Chiesa was sidelined on 17 separate occasions between September 2021 and January 2024 – he also had the dreadful misfortune to have Massimiliano Allegri as a manager for the majority of his time in Turin.
Chiesa scored 14 times during his first season at Juve under Andrea Pirlo; he managed just 18 during Allegri's three-year tenure. The drastic dip in productivity can be partially attributed to the cruciate ligament tear he suffered in January 2022 that ruled him out of 10 months, but Allegri's painfully negative tactics caused Chiesa just as much pain.
Juve were utterly unwatchable for nearly every game of Allegri's second spell in Turin, with the coach rather indefensibly adopting a provincial mentality to managing the biggest club in the country. The net result was talented players being utterly wasted in a system ill-suited to their skillset, with Dusan Vlahovic, for example, so often left completely isolated as games passed him by.
Chiesa, though, was the biggest victim of Allegri's anti-football. One of the world's most exciting wingers was repeatedly played out of position as a central attacker and whenever he drifted wide, Allegri could be seen screaming at Chiesa to get back into the middle.
Consequently, the frustrated forward was regularly withdrawn for failing to do what was asked of him – usually around the 60-minute mark – and his displeasure was obvious. Indeed, on one occasion last season, he was even spotted shaking his head while lamenting, "I am always the first to be taken off!"
Getty ImagesMotta arrival makes no difference
In that context, Allegri's long overdue sacking should have been good news for Chiesa, particularly as the dour Tuscan's replacement, Thiago Motta, is a far more progressive coach who relied heavily on wingers during his sensational spell at Bologna which ended with the Rossoblu qualifying for the Champions League for the first time.
The Bianconeri have made a perfect start to the new Serie A season under their new boss, with the likes of Samuel Mbangula, Andrea Cambiaso and Timothy Weah all impressing out wide in Motta's 4-2-3-1 formation. However, with all respect to those three players, not one of them is anywhere near as talented as Chiesa.
However, the winger must take his share of the blame for his Juve exit. After all, the Bianconeri were keen to extend his contract – but on pretty much the same terms as his previous deal. Chiesa's agent has denied claims that he was seeking a significant pay rise for his client, but it's clear that the two parties had wildly contrasting views on his worth, making a parting of the ways inevitable.
IMAGOAlmost back to his best?
Daniele De Rossi reportedly pushed hard for Roma to pick up Chiesa, but money remains tight at Trigoria and the Giallorossi were not in a position to offer the attacker Champions League football either. Barcelona were, but the Catalans' own cash-flow problems effectively ruled them out of the running for the left winger they've been seeking, and their withdrawal paved the way for Liverpool to make the kind of "opportunistic" signing that Richard Hughes had talked about shortly after his arrival as the club's new sporting director.
There is, unsurprisingly, some scepticism surrounding the deal, most of which is tied to Chiesa's fitness. However, it should be noted that Chiesa featured in 33 of Juve's 38 Serie A games last season – the most appearances he's managed across a single league campaign since he was a Fiorentina player.
He also scored 10 goals in all competitions, while at the same time creating more chances (61) and completing more dribbles (39) than any other Juve player, so there is evidence to suggest that Chiesa has indeed fully recovered from his ACL tear.
"The injury slowed down my career, but it taught me a lot," Chiesa told after his Player-of-the-Match-winning display against Albania at Euro 2024. "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 at before the injury."