While in London there is an Italian, Riccardo Calafiori, fresh winner of the Premier League and absolute protagonist of the Gunners' season, in Liverpool another Italian is packing his bags after a disappointing experience across the Channel. This is Federico Chiesa, who in a short time went from being the hope of Italy's football to disappearing from the radar of important football. After two years with few lights and many shadows, the former Juventus player could then leave Merseyside and seek relaunch elsewhere.
Chiesa all'addio: quante delusioni a Liverpool
The end of the summer session of the 2024 transfer market had provided a blow that had revitalized the dormant ambitions of Italian football. Liverpool, in fact, had put 12 million euros on the table to convince Juventus to let Federico Chiesa leave as his contract expired. The transfer had given rise to the blue dreams, in the hope that English football could shape the son of art born in 1997 in the last steps of his growth path.
On the contrary, the impact with the Premier League coincided with an abrupt stop in the evolution of the former Fiorentina. 15 total appearances, of which just 6 in the championship, for a total of 527 minutes the first year, during which physical problems had affected him and kept him out on fourteen occasions; 36 tokens, of which 26 in the Premier League, and 726 minutes in total in the second. At the end of the two-year period, the report is merciless: just 6 goals and 5 assists in 1253 minutes, equivalent to just under 14 games in total for what was the brightest hope of the national team, "our Sinner", to use the words of the then coach Spalletti. A luxury bench player, held in low regard even when his offensive colleagues were forced to the box.
L'ora di ripartire
The years in which Chiesa amazed everyone with the Fiorentina shirt on, left the public speechless at Juventus and made the whole of Italy rejoice at Euro 2020 seem light years away. His market value was also affected by the collapse in England, which dropped dramatically from 70 million euros, an all-time high, to the current 15 million euros.
After two unsuccessful years in Liverpool, the time has come for a relaunch. The winner of the 2024-2025 Premier League, in fact, can leave the Reds to revitalize his career. The player's most welcome option is a return to Italy, but his salary remains prohibitive for local clubs. The right wing, in fact, receives around 7.5 million euros for the season until 2028: an unattainable figure for any Serie A club. If, however, he were to open up to a drastic reduction in his salary demands, the situation would change radically. Rome, Naples and Milan, in fact, would be willing to satisfy Liverpool's request for around 15 million euros to bring the attacker back to Italy.
A long-awaited and necessary return to his homeland also to re-establish the national team on solid foundations and experienced players. A repatriation of talent that is needed today more than ever.