Why Federico Chiesa Never Got a Real Chance at Liverpool This Season | OneFootball

Federico Chiesa and Liverpool: A Sad Case of What Could Have Been

Chiesa’s Arrival Promised Fire, But the Spark Never Caught

When Federico Chiesa touched down on Merseyside last summer, there was electricity in the air. Not just from him, but from the fans too. His arrival wasn’t a blockbuster headline grabber, but it had that whiff of smart, shrewd business. Here was a player who had lit up Euro 2020, brought Juventus moments of magic, and still had plenty left in the tank. Liverpool moved in quietly but effectively, thanks to Richard Hughes’ eye for a bargain in the Italian market.

Chiesa himself seemed emotionally invested from the start. That now-famous story of asking his wife to play You’ll Never Walk Alone on the flight over painted a picture of a man who wasn’t just changing clubs, but chasing a dream. Unfortunately, that dream has curdled into a frustrating reality. And as the champagne bottles pop and medals are handed out, one can’t help but feel that Federico Chiesa is celebrating a title he didn’t really get to fight for.

Photo: IMAGO

No Room to Breathe Behind The Immovable Salah

If there’s a single reason why Chiesa has seen so little of the pitch, it has a name: Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian continues to be Liverpool’s iron man, playing every league match, racking up nearly 50 goal contributions, and demanding both explicitly and through sheer form to stay on the pitch for the full 90.

Salah isn’t just undroppable. He’s un-substitutable. When he is taken off, it’s almost always in the service of game management. More often than not, it’s Wataru Endo who gets the nod, tasked with firming up midfield rather than adding bite up front. That makes Chiesa, essentially, surplus to requirements. And when you have only five substitutes to work with and tactical flexibility is crucial, Chiesa rarely makes the cut.

This was no loan-to-develop deal. He’s 27. He arrived ready to compete. But instead, he’s spent most weekends in street clothes or warming the bench while players like Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Harvey Elliott, and Cody Gakpo cycle through the pecking order ahead of him.

From Slot’s Margins to the Exit Door?

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Arne Slot simply does not see Chiesa as part of his long-term plan. While Hughes recognised Chiesa’s value as a low-risk, versatile forward, someone who could play across the front line and provide cover, Slot appears unconvinced.

You don’t need inside sources to figure that out. The squad selection tells the story well enough. Chiesa has made only cameo appearances since the turn of the year, and even with the league title wrapped up and nothing but pride left to play for, he’s still not getting meaningful minutes. No Brighton. No Arsenal. Barely Chelsea or Fulham. It does not scream “future project.”

Worse still, there has been no tactical pivot to include him. Slot hasn’t experimented with Chiesa in a central role or tried him as an inverted winger from the left. It’s as if he has already made up his mind.

That sense was cemented after Chiesa’s disappointing FA Cup outing against Plymouth, where he lost the ball 29 times. But it’s unfair to judge a forward entirely on one bad performance, especially one who has barely played all season. Rhythm matters, confidence matters, and Chiesa has been starved of both.

What Next for Federico Chiesa and Liverpool?

Unless something dramatic shifts in the next few weeks, this summer will be about finding Chiesa a new home. Napoli appears the most logical landing spot, given Antonio Conte’s system and the player’s comfort in Serie A. But whether it’s a loan or a permanent exit, it’s clear that Liverpool are preparing to move on.

That, in itself, is a shame. Not because Liverpool can’t survive without Chiesa, but because we never really got to see if he could have added something meaningful. This is a player with 51 caps for Italy, a man who drove his country through key moments at a major tournament. He is not a youth prospect. He has pedigree. And yet, his time at Anfield will go down as a shrug — a forgotten sub, a potential never fully tapped.

Fans haven’t given up, of course. There’s still a chant in his name. There’s still hope every time his name appears on a squad list. But even the faithful are beginning to see the writing on the wall. He’s not just out of the first eleven. He’s barely part of the matchday thinking.

Liverpool might even make a profit on him if he stays fit and moves on. That would make the deal tidy from a financial perspective, but cold comfort for those of us who hoped to see another creative threat slicing in from the right flank. And in a season where Liverpool will lift the Premier League trophy, that lingering “what if” feels unusually bittersweet.

Final Thoughts

Chiesa to Liverpool always felt like an opportunity, a moment to catch lightning in a bottle. Instead, it has fizzled out quietly. This isn’t a criticism of Salah, or even Slot. It’s just one of those situations where the timing, the tactics, and the circumstances never aligned.

But for Chiesa, who dreamed of hearing You’ll Never Walk Alone at Anfield and believed he’d be a part of something special, this season has been less about walking and more about waiting.

If and when he moves on, some fans will remember the YouTube highlights and the goal in the Carabao Cup final. But most will just remember that he was here, and never really got a chance.