Why are Juventus willing to let Chiesa join Liverpool for just £12m?
Liverpool are the only Premier League side yet to sign a player in 2024/25, but that looks set to change.
With a deal that sees Giorgi Mamardashvili join the club and return to Valencia on loan for the rest of this campaign almost done, the Reds have now turned to their attention to signing an attacking player before the summer transfer window closes in less than a weeks time.
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Arne Slot is keen to boost his options in the final third and has his sights set on Federico Chiesa, who is available for a bargain fee of just £12m from Juventus.
The 26-year-old has been deemed surplus to requirements by new manager Thiago Motta and has not been included in the squad for either of the Old Lady’s opening two Serie A matches of the 2024/25 campaign. But why are Juve willing to let him leave for so little?
Despite having just one year left on his contract, £12m still seems incredibly cheap for a player of his pedrigee, having played 51 times for Italy and joining Juve for a fee up to £54m just four years ago. In 2019, with a year remaining on his deal, Eden Hazard left Chelsea for Real Madrid for 10x for what Juve are asking for Chiesa and although we aren’t comparing the two players in terms of quality, you would still expect Juventus to ask for a lot more money.
The forward has scored 21 goals and provided 17 assists in 98 Serie A appearances in Turin, averaging a goal involvement every 162 minutes and winning three trophies as well as helping Italy to Euro 2020 glory in that time, but there are some mitigating factors to why they are prepared to take a hit and get him off their books.
In 2022, the forward suffered a serious knee injury and since then has struggled with further problems, with questions also arising to whether he can return to the form that he showed for the club to sign him in the first place. The Italian seems to be lacking confidence in himself, which is understandable after such a long lay-off and this coupled with the fact that he didn’t fit into Juventus’ two striker system last season, or is favoured by Thiago Motta this term, means they are prepared to just get him off their books.
Juve’s loss is Liverpool’s gain however, as if Arne Slot can help him get back to his best then he will have another top quality forward on his books that can play all across the front three and challenge the likes of Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz , Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo for a place in the starting XI and all for a bargain price.
In 2020/21, in his first season at Juventus, the forward made more tackles inside the opposition box (6) than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues as well as scoring eight goals and providing eight assists in 28 league starts, proving that he has the pressing ability to fit straight in under Arne Slot. They just need to restore his confidence first.
