Sports
Liverpool flop belongs in the Rodgers era
Has the ship already sailed? Will it ever happen for Federico Chiesa at Liverpool?
The forgotten man last season, the Italian winger has again been rather luckless this time around, having been unable to use the Mohamed Salah situation to his benefit this week.
Indeed, even with the Egyptian having been left out for the trip to San Siro, Chiesa could not pounce on that potential opening in the right-wing berth, having been forced to miss the meeting with Inter Milan through illness.
Almost halfway through his second season at Anfield, the ex-Juventus man – signed for a bargain £13m fee – remains bound to the periphery, featuring for just 29 times across all competitions in total.
Notable moments, like his crucial ‘winner’ against Bournemouth on the opening day, have seen the 28-year-old secure cult hero status on Merseyside, although the jury is out on whether he can truly emerge from the shadows.
Latest on Federico Chiesa’s future
In truth, the Reds claimed Premier League glory last term without the impact of any new signing, with Chiesa – the only senior addition that summer – having been restricted to just six league outings all season.
|
Chiesa – PL Record |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (*per game) |
24/25 |
25/26 |
|
Games |
6 |
10 |
|
Starts |
1 |
0 |
|
Goals |
0 |
2 |
|
Assists |
0 |
1 |
|
Big chances missed |
1 |
1 |
|
Big chances created |
0 |
1 |
|
Key passes* |
0.3 |
0.1 |
|
Pass accuracy* |
93% |
74% |
|
Successful dribbles* |
0 |
0.1 |
|
Possession lost* |
2.2 |
3.7 |
Frequently overlooked by Slot in 2024/25, even increased influence this time around has not altered his standing in the attacking pecking order, with all of his ten top-flight appearances coming from the bench.
The man who intervened to deny Wilson Isidor from securing a potential winner for Sunderland not too long ago, there is a will for Chiesa to do well, not least with options not exactly brimming on the flanks.
That being said, Slot – such is his neglect of the one-time Fiorentina star – appears to have other ideas, such has been the winger’s limited game time, with a January exit still being mooted according to recent reports.
As reported by The Athletic, the Euro 2020 hero is said to have a ‘number of admirers’ with the winter window now looming, albeit with it said to pose a potential ‘risk’ if Liverpool do let him depart, considering their relatively small pool of attacking alternatives.
That said, Chiesa himself may wish to push for a move, should his standing not improve, with reports last month suggesting that his agent was in talks over a possible switch, amid hopes of forcing his way back into Italy’s plans ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in March.
A desire to depart would be no surprise considering his lack of use over the last 18 months, with Liverpool perhaps left to reflect on the wisdom of signing off on such a deal.
That said, Chiesa isn’t alone in that department…
Liverpool’s pointless signing belongs in the Rodgers era
As harsh as it may be, the minimal impact of Chiesa would force anyone to come to the conclusion that he has been an almost pointless signing, with Slot showcasing little appetite to hand a regular role to the albeit injury-hit forward.
Rightly or wrongly, ‘pointless’ may be the word that springs to mind at present regarding this summer’s marquee signing, Alexander Isak, with the misfiring Swede again looking off the pace against Inter.
Hooked on the 68-minute mark, having made just 25 touches and registered just a solitary shot, the ex-Newcastle United man was again largely a bystander to proceedings at San Siro, with the excuse of his lack of pre-season now beginning to wear thin.
With just two goals in all competitions for his new side, following that controversial, club-record switch from St James’ Park, the 26-year-old has already entered disaster signing territory, with Slot and co in need of a drastic improvement heading into 2026.
There is also a sense that, while depth is needed, was this a move that FSG truly needed to make, considering they had already plucked Newcastle target Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt?
While Isak has toiled, the young Frenchman has dazzled, scoring eight times already from just 22 appearances, rubberstamping the belief that he should be the starting striker.
As for Liverpool’s actual number nine, Isak looks like following in the footsteps of the notable transfer misfires of the Brendan Rodgers era, echoing the post-Luis Suarez world that saw the likes of Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli and Christian Benteke all flatter to deceive at Anfield.
The summer of 2014, in the wake of Rodgers’ near miss with regard to the title, was particularly egregious, with that centre-forward pairing of Lambert and Balotelli ultimately scoring just seven times between them during their forgettable, brief stays on Merseyside.
Perhaps a better comparison lies with Benteke though, signed a year later, with the Belgian – like Isak at Newcastle – looking prolific in the Premier League at Aston Villa, having scored 49 goals in 101 games for the Midlands side.
Just ten in 42 would follow under Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp.
It might be too soon to write Isak off just yet, and throw him in with that trio of disastrous Rodgers signings, although on current evidence, he is looking like the Benteke of 2015.
Hopefully Ekitike can prove to be the Roberto Firmino…
Fewer touches than Alisson & only 10 passes: Liverpool flop must be dropped
Liverpool returned to winning ways in Italy but it wasn’t all positive for Arne Slot.
