Liverpool make decision over future of Federico Chiesa as talks held with Turkish side Besiktas
The 27-year-old was notably left out of the team’s Champions League squad
Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa is claimed to be the subject of interest from a top club in the Turkish Super Liga, according to reports.
The former Juventus star has started just one league match since completing a £12.5m move to Liverpool last summer and has so far struggled to hit anywhere near the heights expected of him at Anfield.
Turkish clubs have until September 12 to conclude their summer business and Besiktas, who recently reappointed Sergen Yalçın after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, are one of the clubs that are expected to be busy in the final days of the window as they aim to boost their title hopes. They’ve reportedly held ‘exploratory talks’ with Chiesa and his representatives but are yet to table a formal bid.
Liverpool remain keen to keep Federico Chiesa
The Liverpool Echo understands that Federico Chiesa still has a role to play at Anfield this season. The outlet explains that the champions are not encouraging interest for the Euro 2020 winner at this time. Chiesa played 14 matches across all competitions last season and only made six of those appearances in the league.
However, he’s already half way to achieving that number this season, having appeared in all three matches from the bench while he also registered his first Premier League goal by finding the net during a 4-2 win against Bournemouth on matchday one.
The Italian is close to full fitness after enduring an injury-hit pre-season but wasn’t selected in the club’s Champions League squad for their opening eight games of the competition.
This omission has only amplified speculation of a potential exit but the Echo states that Arne Slot would still like to have Chiesa as part of his frontline in the league and cup competitions this term as the club look to balance the demands of challenging on a number of different fronts, particularly after losing attacking players like Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz.
What does the future hold for Federico Chiesa?
Federico Chiesa is under contract at Liverpool until 2028 after signing a four-year deal last summer. He’s so far looked a shadow of the player which made him one of the most feared wingers in Serie A and he enters this season with a real mountain to climb if he’s to force his way into the first team after a summer of big spending.
Chiesa at his best is a quick explosive winger with the ability to drive at defenders and score lots of goals. Whether that player still exists after injuries remains to be seen and ultimately it’s down to the player to see if he can still make it in the Premier League. It’s not currently clear if Liverpool have a price tag for Chiesa that would tempt them to sell.