Federico Chiesa’s Liverpool career has yet to properly get started and he is already being linked with a move away.
Italy international Chiesa joined the Reds in a cut-price deal towards the end of the summer transfer window, having fallen out of favour at Juventus. He was the second new signing of the Arne Slot era but the first to make his debut, with Giorgi Mamardashvili remaining at Valencia until 2025.
The winger didn’t have a proper pre-season at Juve, meaning he had to wait for his debut. However, injury issues since then have limited his involvement.
After substitute appearances against AC Milan in the Champions League and Bournemouth in the Premier League, he started for the first time against West Ham in a Carabao Cup win on September 25. He was an unused substitute three days later against Wolves, but hasn’t featured in a matchday squad since.
Now, according to La Repubblica (via Goal), Napoli are monitoring the 27-year-old. The Serie A club are said to see him as a potential replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia if the Georgian ends up leaving Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with Kvaratskhelia, who helped Napoli win the Scudetto in 2023. The Partenopei are desperate to keep their star man, but those reports in Italy suggest Chiesa is viewed as a potential successor if they’re unable to do so.
Kvaratskhelia has featured in all 14 of Napoli’s league games this season, scoring five times. He set up Scott McTominay’s winner away to Torino on Sunday, helping Antonio Conte’s team end the weekend top of the table.
“I think it is always so difficult with injuries,” Slot said of Chiesa in October. “Especially if it has just happened, to see where they are after a few days. I think after a few days you can say better where they are.
“With Federico it’s a bit more simple, although it is difficult, it is a bit more simple to explain. He missed pre-season, I said this many times, and going to a league that is a higher intensity than Serie A, we just faced two Italian teams so I can say this now.
“That makes it difficult for him to make the step towards the intensity levels to where the rest of the team is at the moment. It has not so much to do with the Italian league or the Premier League but so much to do with him missing the entire pre-season.
“So it is difficult for every player, when the games are constantly there, to build up players to the levels we are at. It’s difficult to say but it is a big disappointment that he is going in and out of the training sessions all the time.
“So I feel sorry for him but he signed a long-term contract, so we will see what he brings for us. At the moment, unfortunately for us he has been in the team selection one or two times and no more than that.”
