It was not so long ago that Federico Chiesa was starring at the European Championships for Italy in some of the biggest matches of his career.
He was a livewire, electric to watch, and his talent and confidence blended into a tremendous player. Fast forward to now, injuries have played a part in knocking the Italian down, but it is not for a lack of skill or want.
When Liverpool signed him two years ago, it was seen as a bargain at only £12.5 million. Here was a proven top-class player, still in his comfortable twenties and ready to prove his doubters wrong.
As it's happened since, Chiesa has struggled for consistent minutes where he could truly find a groove and establish himself at the club.
A mismatch of views with Arne Slot
It's interesting that Chiesa was one of the first signings made under the new Slot regime, which was trying to take over from the iconic Jurgen Klopp era.
Yet, from the beginning, it was clear that the Dutch coach had a different vision for who he wanted in his lineups on a weekly basis, and the Italian was not one of them.
Even when he would make a positive impact off the bench, either in his debut season or at points this season, it did not seem to matter as he could never get a true good run of games to rebuild his image and belief.
Fans have been pushing for more minutes for Chiesa for awhile now, and before his eventual sacking following a dismal 2025/26, Slot simply would not oblige.
To a player that has excelled at the highest levels, being in the prime of your physical career and not even sniffing a start would be a huge weight to deal with. To his credit, Chiesa has done the best he can in the small samples he was allowed to shine. His match-winning goal earlier this season this season being a prime example of that mental fortitude.
For whatever reason, the Dutchman valued Cody Gakpo and others over his Euro winning winger.
The time is now or never
Now entering the third season of the four year contract he signed upon his arrival from Juventus, Chiesa is nearing his breaking point. He stated his stance clearly to Gazzetta dello Sport.
"I want to play and if I don't find continuity in the Premier League I'll need to find it elsewhere. I barely played in my first year at Liverpool, and in the last one, very little. I'll go on a training camp in the US, then I'll talk to the club and the new manager, Iraola, and we'll see." he said.
Chiesa is of course refencing Liverpool's replacement for the fired Slot. in the form of former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.
At a glance, one could see a fit and firing Chiesa as a strong fit in the aggressive and fast-moving system the Spaniard will want to implement at Anfield.
The departure of Mohamed Salah leaves a gaping void in attack, and it is one that the club are trying to replace with a player such as Yan Diomande. However, more opportunities for Chiesa as well could prove to be a fine secondary solution at times.
In the same interview with the Italian outfit, he made it clear he does not need to be a guaranteed starter, rather he needs more than the miniscule minutes he was seeing down the stretch of this season.
If Chiesa impresses Iraola enough in preseason action, would there be enough goodwill to give it one more go in England? That would be ideal, because the Reds cannot continue bleeding talent right now.
Fede can help this club now and going forward
In the new system we will see at Liverpool, if Federico Chiesa can get close to 30-35 matches in all competitions with at least half of them starts, there would be a tangible reward for the club.
A player like Fede needs to be on the pitch to maintain his spotty fitness levels, but also the footballing form that we have seen from him in the past with Italy, Juventus and others.
Signing Diomande would be a big coup for the club, but keeping Chiesa at Anfield as another viable option in attack and not just another body to ward off injuries is a sensible approach for all.
I have not seen anything in his limited appearances that would suggest he is a shell of himself or that his value for the club is no longer there. In fact, like I mentioned above, I think he's been held back the last two years and Iraola could unleash him once again to the misfortune of other clubs in England.
Whatever direction things go, the time is now for Chiesa and Liverpool to decide if he still has a meaningful role in red or if the time has come for a fresh start abroad once again.
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