Two Italian giants leading the race to sign Liverpool forward | OneFootball

Federico Chiesa and the Misadventure at Anfield: What Went Wrong?

Symbolism in a Substitution

When Federico Chiesa stepped onto the Stamford Bridge turf for his fifth Premier League appearance of the season, the symbolism was impossible to ignore. It wasn’t a coronation—it was an obligation. Five appearances. Eighteen minutes max per game. That was enough for a medal, but barely a whisper of a contribution to Liverpool’s title-winning campaign.

According to Calcio Mercato, Chiesa’s marginalisation under Arne Slot wasn’t just tactical—it was terminal. A paltry £12 million transfer fee, once seen as a low-risk coup for a player once heralded as the future of Italian football, has aged awkwardly. This wasn’t a gamble that backfired. It was a flame that never caught fire.

Photo: IMAGO

Chiesa’s Vanishing Act

For a player who once danced past defenders in the Euros like a man possessed, Chiesa’s season at Liverpool has resembled a ghost story—brief appearances, uncertain motives, barely seen. His relationship with Slot? “One that never fully blossomed.” The euphemism is polite. The reality is starker: he was never truly in the manager’s plans.

And now, the winds of Serie A beckon once more. Napoli are circling. Milan, through Moncada’s interest, are lurking too. For Chiesa, who still fancies himself a protagonist rather than a prop, the pull of a project built around him is understandably strong.

Italian Reboot on the Cards

What does Italy offer that Liverpool didn’t? A chance at redemption, for one. At 27, Chiesa sits at the apex of potential and expectation. Wasting another season on the fringes of Merseyside would be professional negligence. Napoli promises a starring role. Milan, a platform. Both offer what Liverpool couldn’t: certainty, continuity, a defined purpose.

Photo: IMAGO

As Calcio Mercato reports, Chiesa’s agent, Fali Ramadani, will soon fly into Liverpool to assess the situation. It’s a meeting that could close the final chapter of a story that never quite started.

A Case of What Might Have Been

In another reality, Chiesa might have lit up Anfield like a Mediterranean Mane. Instead, his time in red feels more like a mistranslation—something was always lost in the exchange.

Our View – Anfield Index Analysis

For Liverpool fans, the Chiesa saga is less about disappointment and more about dissonance. Here was a player with pedigree, pace, and pedigree—a Euro 2020 star reduced to a bench-warmer. His arrival sparked muted excitement, but his failure to feature raised louder questions. Why sign a talent like Chiesa only to park him?

Some supporters argue he never truly got a fair shot under Arne Slot, whose system perhaps never accommodated Chiesa’s instinctive, explosive style. Slot prefers structure, pressing triangles and tactical discipline. Chiesa thrives on chaos and freedom. Oil and water.

There’s also the suspicion that Chiesa was never a Slot signing—an echo of a recruitment policy in flux during the post-Klopp transition. If so, his exit this summer feels less like a betrayal and more like a course correction. No hard feelings. Just a footballer miscast.

And yet, a part of the Kop will still wonder: what if? What if Chiesa had started at Anfield with rhythm and trust? What if he’d been allowed to shine? Instead, we’re left with cameos, cold stats, and a gold medal that feels like tin.

If he leaves, we wish him well. Just don’t be surprised if he becomes a star again. That’s the Chiesa way—drifting out of view before returning with a vengeance.