Liverpool: Federico Chiesa could be Klopp’s own Kvaratskhelia
Liverpool target Federico Chiesa has been placed on the transfer market, according to reports from Italy, with Juventus seeking to recuperate funds after only qualifying for the Europa Conference League this year.
What’s the latest on Federico Chiesa to Liverpool?
Indeed, CalcioMercato claims that Chiesa has been transfer-listed for €60m (£51m) following the Old Lady’s ten-point deduction due to financial mismanagement, and Liverpool are among the suitors.
Jurgen Klopp’s club is joined in its interest by Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United, both pushing for a deal for the 25-year-old, who has two years remaining on his current deal in Turin.
Liverpool already have a wealth of attacking talent at their disposal and the onus is on the defensive and midfield departments, but Chiesa is a long-term target and could complete Anfield’s frontline.
How good is Federico Chiesa?
The Reds are understandably undergoing something of a transitional phase right now, with a midfield exodus this summer preceded by the sale of distinguished attacker Sadio Mane one year ago.
Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo have all arrived over the past 18 months, and there have been tantalising glimpses of the cogs coming together last term despite the lacklustre travails of the squad, failing to qualify for the Champions League.
Next season, Klopp and co have to get the recipe right, forge a title challenge and compete for the Europa League trophy, and as such Chiesa could be the perfect player to bolster the right flank and provide Mohamed Salah with some respite – especially considering the Egyptian star will leave a chasm when departing mid-season for the African Cup of Nations.
Chiesa can fill the void; a fleet-footed “wizard” – as hailed by DaveOCKOP – with more than a little creative ingenuity, the £153k-per-week ace recovered from a big injury this year and scored four goals and six assists from just nine starts across all competitions, with a late-season purple patch underscoring his return to full-firing form.
The 41-cap international ranks among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for rate of assists, the top 15% for progressive carries and the top 16% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, showcasing his flair and drawing parallels to one of the hottest commodities of the recently-concluded term in Napoli’s Georgian sensation Khvivha Kvaratskhelia who is the ‘most similar’ player to the Italian.
Another Serie A sorcerer, Kvaratskhelia has been heralded as “magic” by Fabrizio Romano and was instrumental in Napoli’s Scudetto-winning campaign after signing for a bargain €10m (£9m) last summer, having scored 14 goals and supplied 17 assists across all competitions.
The 22-year-old also excels with his barrelling runs, ranking among the top 6% for progressive carries and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90, and he is undoubtedly one of Europe’s most coveted talents.
Considering Chiesa is also “impossible to stop”, as he was praised by Gianluigi Buffon, Liverpool could add a conclusive dimension to their offensive ranks with a swoop, and with silver-laden success the only answer for the Reds, his signature might just be worthwhile.