Federico Chiesa drops three-word claim which could leave the door open for Liverpool exit
Federico Chiesa has appeared to leave the door open in terms of a possible exit from Liverpool this summer.
Despite winning the Premier League, the 27-year-old had a difficult first season at Anfield on a personal level, accruing just 466 minutes of game-time and starting a single top-flight match (in a much-changed line-up after the Reds had already clinched the title).
Some journalists have suggested that the Italian might already be nearing ‘the end of a short road’ on Merseyside as Arne Slot ‘just does not fancy him’, and there were reports from Gazzetta dello Sport about Napoli possibly seeking to bring him back to Serie A after only one year in England.
Chiesa focused on pre-season but not totally ruling out Liverpool exit
Chiesa has given an interview to Gazzetta (via Football Italia) in which he proclaimed that his priority in the short-term is to be primed for the commencement of Liverpool’s pre-season programme next month, having been frozen out at Juventus last summer and duly felt the effects of that in his early weeks at Anfield.
The Italy international said: “My family, my agent and I have a great relationship with Liverpool, and the goal is to be ready for the pre-season. We’ll find the best solution for everyone. I work every day with a programme at Liverpool to be in top shape for the tests on July 8.”
However, despite that apparent determination to hit the ground running on Merseyside for 2025/26, the Italian didn’t completely rule out a return to his homeland this year if the opportunity were to arise.
When asked about the possibility of going back to Juventus this summer, Chiesa replied: “Never say never”.
Let’s hope Chiesa has at least one more season at Liverpool
Although he hasn’t completely shut the door on returning to Serie A in the next three months, it does seem as though the forward’s priority is to prove himself at Liverpool after a frustrating first year at Anfield, so we wouldn’t panic over that latter three-word assertion.
The 27-year-old is a firm fans’ favourite on Merseyside (as evidenced by the raucous chant in his name which soundtracked the Premier League trophy presentation and subsequent parade), and Graeme Bailey spoke of how the player has impressed staff at LFC with his attitude behind the scenes despite a dearth of game-time.
Chiesa wasn’t helped by fitness problems and the lack of a proper pre-season when he joined the Reds last year, but hopefully now that he seems to have greater stability with his career, he can enjoy a strong start to his second campaign with us – that is, of course, if he doesn’t go back to Italy in the meantime.
It’d be an awful shame if he were to call time on his stint at Liverpool so soon after arriving, and it certainly doesn’t seem as though he’s actively pushing to leave, even if his ‘never say never’ remark stops short of a full-blown commitment to the Anfield cause.
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