Federico Chiesa remains out of the first-team picture under Arne Slot at Liverpool, but with the 2026 World Cup taking place at the end of the coming season, Italian football needs one of its biggest stars back on home soil, playing regularly and consistently.
Why Italy wants Chiesa to leave Liverpool
Chiesa was not included in Liverpool’s pre-season tour squad, while the rest of his teammates jetted off for Asia, where they will face Milan in a friendly in Hong Kong on Saturday night. That is despite scoring in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Stoke City over the weekend.
The situation does not bode well for Chiesa heading into the 2025-26 campaign at Liverpool, particularly given that he featured for just 466 minutes across all competitions last term.
In fact, the former Juventus and Fiorentina man did not play for more than 135 minutes in any of the four competitions that Liverpool were involved in last season.
Given that Chiesa has not featured in the Italy national team squad since EURO 2024, prior to his Liverpool move, a transfer away from Anfield appears to be the only way that the 27-year-old can force his way back into the Azzurri line-up.
CT Gennaro Gattuso also confirmed this during his first press conference in charge of the Nazionale in June: “I told Chiesa that he needs to find a way to get settled and play consistently. This applies to everyone.”
On his best form, Chiesa is a particularly useful player to the Italy national team given the current lack of quality in depth in the positions where the Liverpool forward tends to play, either on the wing or as a second striker.
There is genuine competition for starting places in midfield with Sandro Tonali, Nicolo Barella, Samuele Ricci, Davide Frattesi, Nicolo Rovella and Cesare Casadei competing for places. It is a similar situation at centre-back with Alessandros Bastoni and Buongiorno, Riccardo Calafiori, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, while Federico Dimarco, Destiny Udogie Andrea Cambiaso and Raoul Bellanova ensure there are multiple options at wing-back as well.
However, the forward areas are where Italy are currently lacking in quality options in depth, which is why a fully fit and consistent Chiesa is a valuable prospect for the national team.
Fortunately, there are a number of clubs in Serie A who appear to be interested in offering Chiesa a return to the Italian top flight.
Those most recently include Napoli, who are still on the lookout for new wingers despite the recent arrival of Noa Lang, and Atalanta, who may need to secure a replacement for the Inter-linked Ademola Lookman.
You really think he will be back to what he is been once? he is finished.
What’s going on with Chiesa at Liverpool. Is the player too fragile, mentally and physically? Is it personal? Is Chiesa not putting in the effort?…
I would love to see what Conte could do with the player at Napoli. He could get into Chiesa’s head, toughen him up and get him into the best physical shape of his career.
Even though Chiesa is still relatively young, it’s getting to stage where this extremely promising player is in danger of letting his career fizzle out.
atalanta would be good for him, napoli already have enough attackers so he would not be first option at this point
@Angelo You really think it is somehting mental? it is not!
He is basically not playing for 2/3 seasons now, not even proper training. As a footballer you miss one season, you basically destroy your phisical condition and can never back to what you have been once, this guy is done, better for him to go to saudi to make some money.
@Oz countless examples in history of football prove that what you’re saying is utter nonsense
@ForzaSerieA, If Gasparini was still at Atalanta, I would agree with you. I believe that Chiesa is better than any of Napoli’s wide forwards. If Conte can bring him back to his best, he would be my first choice wide forward.
he’d easily slot into Roma Napoli or Atalanta. hes definetly better than Raspadori.