Romano doubles down on journalist’s Federico Chiesa claim amid interest from ex-Chelsea boss | OneFootball

After a frustrating first four months at Liverpool, could Federico Chiesa burst into life for the Reds in the second half of the season?

The Italian forward has been restricted to just five appearances since his August move from Juventus, with a combination of fitness issues, illnesses and injury problems preventing him from taking flight at Anfield thus far.

There has even been speculation that he could make a prompt return to Serie A this month, and Gazzetta dello Sport claimed over the weekend that former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte wants to bring the 27-year-old to Napoli after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia reportedly handed in a transfer request.

What’s the latest on Chiesa?

Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio subsequently told Sky Sport that, while Gli Azzurri are duly looking towards prospective replacements for the Georgia superstar, they’re unlikely to obtain Chiesa, who wishes to stay at Liverpool for at least the remainder of this campaign.

On Saturday night, Fabrizio Romano doubled down on those claims as he posted on X that the ‘priority’ for the Reds forward is to remain at Anfield, ‘as confirmed by his agent’.

(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Chiesa seems more than happy at Liverpool

Recent claims that Chiesa is unhappy at Liverpool and seeking a return to his homeland appear to be well wide of the mark.

In addition to the updates from Di Marzio and Romano, the player took to Instagram after scoring his first Reds goal in the FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley on Saturday with an image of him celebrating that landmark moment, accompanied by a caption of ‘YNWA’ and a heart emoji.

The 27-year-old might’ve had something of a false start to his LFC career, but if he can stave off the various problems which plagued him throughout 2024, he may yet end up being a pivotal figure in Arne Slot’s squad in the second half of this campaign.

Apart from Diogo Jota, who’s had his own injury issues, Liverpool’s four other senior forwards have each played more than 1,300 minutes already this season. With no let-up in the fixture schedule over the coming weeks, Chiesa’s availability could be crucial in terms of managing his teammates’ workload.

The Italy international seems firmly committed to the Anfield cause despite Conte’s rumoured desire to bring him back to Serie A, and the Merseyside giants would be wise to retain their number 14 as the big games keep on coming in January and beyond.