Liverpool are reportedly leading the race for Juventus forward Federico Chiesa in this summer transfer window.
The Italy international’s future is uncertain at Juventus, with the Serie A giants unwilling to give him big wages and make him the next star of the club. This has led to negotiations on a contract renewal in Turin stalled, thereby, attracting the interest of many big European clubs.
According to the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Liverpool are readying a €40m bid for Federico Chiesa as Juventus are willing to sell the player this summer.
Juventus value the winger at around €60m, and with his contract expiring in 2025, the Serie A club would rather get a fee that matches their valuation this year as opposed to waiting until 2024 and being in a weaker position to negotiate. However, Liverpool could face still competition, with Bayern Munich and Chelsea touted for a move, while Paris Saint-Germain are also keen on the player, the report adds.
Federico Chiesa to Liverpool—Right option for the Reds?
Federico Chiesa, 25, initially joined Juventus on loan from Fiorentina in 2020 before his move was made permanent ahead of the 2022-23 season. The Italian forward’s progress at Old Lady has been majorly hampered by injuries, although he has shown resilience to bounce back. In the recently concluded season, he only managed two goals and five assists in 21 league appearances.
Chiesa might not have had the best of times of late, owing to injuries and lack of consistency, but he certainly has it in him to turn things around. Thus, it is not a surprise to see a lot of clubs willing to take a punt on the 25-year-old forward. Liverpool are among those clubs, however, Jurgen Klopp and co. must avoid going for him.
The main priority for Liverpool is surely to strengthen their midfield options, especially after the departures of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on free transfers. This has left Jurgen Klopp with big gaps to fill in his squad, and the German tactician has made a step in the right direction by bringing in Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton.
Yet, there is still a lot more business to be done over the coming weeks when it comes to reinforcing the midfield unit. The lack of quality and a major dip in the form of key players in the middle of the park led to the Reds’ downfall last season, and Klopp cannot afford to go into the new season with just one midfield addition in Mac Allister.
In Mohamed Salah, Luiz Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota, Liverpool boasts of tremendous firepower in their squad that would rank highly among the best clubs in Europe. Then there are youngsters such as Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliot who could also contribute with goals and assists next term. This perhaps is enough to suggest why the Reds don’t need another addition in their attacking ranks, even if it is a talented player like Chiesa up for grabs.
That said, signing Chiesa isn’t a priority for Liverpool at the moment and they must stay away from him. Instead, Klopp and his club must continue focusing on revamping their midfield unit.
