Transfer of Federico Chiesa: Liverpool and Juventus reach a £12.5 million agreement for the Italy forward

Liverpool and Juventus have reached an agreement to spend £12.5 million for Federico Chiesa, an Italy forward who has drawn interest from Barcelona and Saudi Arabia this summer.

Federico Chiesa, an Italian striker, will join Liverpool from Juventus for a reported £12.5 million.

The 26-year-old will cost £10 million up front, with a further £2.5 million due to performance in the first team. Liverpool plans to offer him a four-year contract at Anfield.

He said, "I'm really happy and ready for this new adventure," referring to his upcoming relocation to Liverpool. "Thank you to all of the Juventus supporters over the years; I will always hold a special place in my heart for you. Thank you, Juventus.

"I'm really, really happy, we can't wait, me and my family."

The player has been told he can leave Juventus, and Liverpool has enquired about him, according to a report from Sky Sports News on Monday.

While Saudi Arabia's interest was thought to have presented Liverpool with the most competition in obtaining Chiesa's signature, Barcelona was also rumoured to be interested in the player but is having difficulty finding the necessary margin in their salary bill to allow them to register him.

 
After a two-year loan from Fiorentina, Chiesa signed a permanent contract with Juventus in 2022. Since then, he has made 98 appearances for the Turin-based team, scoring 32 goals in 131 appearances across all competitions, including 21 times in 98 Serie A matches.

Chiesa was also instrumental in Italy's victory at Euro 2021, particularly in the decisive match at Wembley where Roberto Mancini's team defeated England 2-1.

After the Reds recently agreed to buy Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili for £25 million plus £4 million in add-ons, Chiesa would become new head coach Arne Slot's second summer addition. However, the Georgia international will stay with the LaLiga club until next summer.

"Chiesa needs to grow, but she has so much talent."

"He can play on the left or right, and although he doesn't particularly enjoy it, he can even play as a second striker. He is an extremely direct player.

"All you have to do is watch the Euro 2020 tournament, including the championship match, against Spain. His ability to accelerate, dribble, and reach a high speed allows him to cover a lot of ground.

"As he gets older, it's less so, but Juventus' style of play also plays a part in it. He doesn't fit the mould that Italian managers like or what Serie A requires in terms of physical presence.

"He hasn't yet properly connected with a coach who has been able to fully develop his skill, and he occasionally struggles to get rid of his marking.

"He has a tonne of skill and technique, but it comes down to reading the game, playing well with teammates, and getting rid of markers."

That's not exactly his strong suit; at times, he may play like a one-man band, head-down, dribbling. He has a lovely finish, but he needs to contribute more to the team dynamic."

"Chiesa was a victim of Allegri's fashion"
Sky Sports News with Italian football analyst Mina Rzouki:

Because of the promise he has showed and because they saw him as the team's future, they are furious that he is departing.

"It hasn't exactly been successful. It's hard to hold the player responsible for anything because he really took the club by storm when he joined.

"Under Andrea Pirlo, he was incredible to watch; he was nimble, direct, and dynamic and always came to Juventus' aid.

"However, he sustained an ACL injury in January 2022, and we haven't seen him return to the player we know."

"Unfortunately, it appeared like Juventus' attackers weren't doing well under Max Allegri, who played a more cautious brand of football.

"Thiago Motta appeared to have his chance to take the lead at this point.

"However, after a year of his contract, no agreement was reached, and there were allegations that he was demanding excessive compensation, Motta determined that the player did not fit into his long-term goals for Juventus.

"He needs a place where he can start - but I'm not sure he's going to get that at Liverpool either."