What next for Chiesa after Italy absence and Liverpool Champions League snub? | OneFootball

Ah, Federico Chiesa.

At one point, the pacy winger looked destined to be the future of Italian football but since leaving boyhood club Fiorentina in favour of a move to Juventus in 2020, his career has hit a hurdle.

After making an initial impact with the Old Lady, Chiesa’s influence in Turin slowly diminished in the seasons to come and now the winger must make important decisions about his future, as his role at his latest club Liverpool sees him largely sat on the fringes.

Federico Chiesa: A Career Quick-Look

In 2021, the Italian was in the prime of his hype – after a strong debut season with the Bianconeri and playing a huge part in Italy’s triumph in the postponed Euro 2020. Chiesa was named in the Team of the Tournament for the Euros, just weeks after being named in Serie A’s equivalent for the 2020-21 season.

However, last summer, Juventus decided to part ways with the winger and he was sold to Premier League side Liverpool for a figure in the region of €15 million – a considerable loss on the roughly €60 million total package that the Old Lady presented to Fiorentina in the summer of 2020.

TURIN, ITALY – MAY 25: Federico Chiesa of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A TIM match between Juventus and AC Monza at on May 25, 2024 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Despite becoming only the second Italian player ever to receive a Premier League winners’ medal when Arne Slot’s side cruised to domestic success last season, Chiesa made just 14 appearances in all competitions, scoring only two goals.

Fast forward to today and the Italian has finally scored his first league goal for the Reds, scoring the third goal in their 4-2 opening game victory against Bournemouth this season.

However, when Liverpool announced their squad list for the upcoming Champions League campaign earlier this week, Chiesa was notably absent – as he is too from Gennaro Gattuso’s first squad as head coach of the Italian national team.

The former Fiorentina man appears to be at a crucial juncture in his career and with the disappointment of being excluded from Slot’s Champions League squad, his stay in Merseyside may not last much longer.

What next for Federico Chiesa?

During the summer, Chiesa was strongly linked with a return to Italy.

Milan were reportedly interested in reuniting the winger with head coach Massimiliano Allegri, who returned to the Rossoneri this summer and worked with Chiesa during the duo’s time in Turin with Juventus.

Allegri’s Milan were not the only side that the rumour mill speculated were keen on the Italian, with Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce interested, in addition to Napoli and, as Football Italia exclusively revealed, Atalanta had lined up the Liverpool forward as a potential replacement for Ademola Lookman; the Nigerian himself nearly completing a summer move to Inter.

There are no shortage of suitors for Chiesa which is why it came as a surprise to some that he ended up staying in England.

That being said, it looked as though things would improve for him this season. Chiesa has featured in all three of Liverpool’s opening trio of Premier League games and, as aforementioned, scored his first league goal for the club against Bournemouth.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 15: Federico Chiesa of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield on August 15, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Just as the door for optimism was so delicately left ajar for Chiesa, it was as quickly slammed shut. Due to UEFA squad registration rules, clubs participating in the Champions League must name eight homegrown players in their team, leaving 17 spots open for non-homegrown players.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot was faced with a selection headache and opted to instead include the likes of new signing Giovanni Leoni and rising star Rio Ngumoha.

There is no doubt that January will once again be littered with rumours speculating on a move for Chiesa.

A return to Italy seems the most likely but the player is on a reported wage of around €200,000 per week, on a contract that does not expire until 2028. Therefore, financially the Italian clubs are at a disadvantage and the winger would likely need to take a pay cut to return to his homeland, even if he could be available at a discounted transfer fee.

For now, the forward need only focus on himself. With no Champions League minutes on the horizon, Slot may choose to utilise the Italian more domestically. If he can prove himself once again and deliver strong performances in the Premier League, even just as an impact sub off the bench, it cannot be completely ruled out that Chiesa may salvage his Liverpool career.

The club will have another opportunity to confirm their squad ahead of the knock-out stage and player sales in January or injuries, or even a dramatic revival in form, could lead to Slot giving the Italian another chance.