[ad_1]
Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Italy forward Federico Chiesa from Juventus, becoming their first immediate arrival of the summer transfer window.
Chiesa joins the Reds after four years in Turin, signing in a deal worth up to £12.5 million.
He follows goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili as the second addition of the Arne Slot era, but unlike the Georgian he will link up with the squad immediately.
The 26-year-old is reported to have put pen to paper a four-year contract after undergoing a medical on Wednesday, tying him to the club until 2028.
Experienced in every role across the attack from his time in Italy with Fiorentina and Juventus, Chiesa is expected to join primarily as cover for Mohamed Salah on the right flank.
But the Italy international will offer competition for each position in the forward line as well as providing Slot more tactical flexibility.
There have been concerns over Chiesa’s fitness record following a season-ending ACL injury in 2021/22, but the club are clearly convinced his issues are behind him after a campaign as a regular starter last time out.
Frozen out at Juventus this season and into the final year of his contract, Liverpool were able to bring in their latest signing for a bargain fee.
They will pay around £10 million up front, with a further £2.5 million in add-ons negotiated into the deal.
Chiesa is the seventh Italian player to represent Liverpool, with supporters hoping for more success than his predecessors Gabriel Paletta, Daniele Padelli, Andrea Dossena, Alberto Aquilani, Fabio Borini and Mario Balotelli.
He is the Reds’ first signing from Serie A since midfielder Arthur Melo, who joined on loan from Juventus in 2022; the last permanent arrival from Italy was Alisson, signed from AS Roma in 2018.
What Chiesa can bring to Liverpool
While Chiesa perhaps isn’t a ‘marquee’ signing, he will provide much-needed cover for Salah on the right, meaning Liverpool will now have a backup for each of their front three positions.
At 26 years old, the Italian has plenty of time left on the clock and the only thing moderating fans’ excitement over the player’s talents is his injury record.
Transfermarkt indicates he has suffered 22 different injuries in total, with the worst being a cruciate ligament tear that kept him out of 45 matches over 269 days in the 2021/22 season.
That ACL injury led to several knock-on issues; having suffered only five injuries in the three seasons prior to the 2021/22 campaign, missing just 16 games, he has since had 17 injury issues in three seasons since and missed 84 games.
However, there have been positive signs in recent times, with the games he has missed gradually decreasing since 2022.
While he may have lost some of his lightning pace that was so evident in his standout Euro 2020 campaign, there is no doubting Chiesa’s talent on the ball.
• OPINION: Chiesa to Liverpool: Why bargain transfer could make a lot of sense
He has consistently proved himself an exceptional dribbler in recent years and could be a great option when Salah needs a rest.
Over the last year, he has managed 4.57 progressive carries per 90 minutes, per FBRef.
This puts him in the top one percent of dribblers among players in Europe’s top five leagues.
He also ranks highly with regard to progressive passes, which are deemed as completed open-play passes in the attacking two-thirds of the pitch that move the ball at least 25 percent closer to the goal.
In that respect, he has completed 9.05 per 90 minutes over the last year, placing him in the 91st percentile of comparable players in Europe’s top five leagues.
That all sound like a lot to comprehend? Basically, it translates to him being a direct winger who drives towards goal and is very positive on the ball.
* Get your CHIESA 14 Liverpool shirt from the official LFC store here.
[ad_2]
