Federico Chiesa’s future remains uncertain at Liverpool having played nothing more than bit-part role for the Premier League champions
Diogo Jota (L), Kostas Tsimikas (C) and Federico Chiesa celebrate as Liverpool win the Premier League title after beating Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield (Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Liverpool have used 24 different players in their Premier League-winning season to date. After clinching the title by thrashing Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 on Sunday, all of them have marked their triumph on social media in one form or another.
All of them but one, that is. Federico Chiesa might have been fully involved in the post-match celebrations at Anfield last weekend, but he is the lone Reds star yet to acknowledge becoming a Premier League champion on his public platforms.
In truth, the Italy international’s silence is understandable. He has been limited to just 33 minutes of Premier League action to date across four substitute appearances.
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While he was present in enjoying Sunday’s celebrations, and has repeatedly been spotted as a wild cheerleader for his team-mates when left unused throughout the campaign, the Euro 2020 winner could be forgiven if he felt he was suffering with imposter’s syndrome, given his limited, bit-part role since his £10m arrival from Juventus last August.
He came on for 18 minutes on his Premier League debut against AFC Bournemouth back in September, before later being struck down by injury that forced him to miss the majority of the first half of the season.
But since overcoming such issues in December, three and four-minute cameos in back successive victories over Brentford and Ipswich Town in January were the limit of his input prior to an eight-minute outing in the 3-2 loss to Fulham at the start of April.
Sure, he had played a part in Liverpool’s stoppage-time win over Brentford, involved in the build-up to both Darwin Nunez goals, and was unlucky not to score against the Cottagers but for the majority he has been an unused spectator under Arne Slot.
An unused substitute on 12 occasions in the Premier League since his mid-season return, Chiesa has also failed to make the matchday squad on five occasions following his injury comeback.
Had Conor Bradley not been sidelined by a knock against Tottenham Hotspur, he would have likely sat out the title-clinching win over Spurs too, having been left out the week before against Leicester City.
Boasting two goals and two assists in all competitions from 12 appearances in all competitions, Chiesa has shown glimpses of his talent when turned to this season. But having not been turned to as much as he would like, it is fair to say that his move from Turin has not panned out how any party would have wanted.
Technically, the forward has not even qualified for a Premier League winner’s medal yet, with players required to make five appearances to guarantee one. But with clubs being handed 40 medals, and able to request more, he is unlikely to be snubbed even if he fails to make another appearance.
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Liverpool ECHO front page. Liverpool champions. April 28, 2025
Earlier in the season, Slot was frequently quizzed about Chiesa’s situation. But as the weeks turned into months, his limited role just became a given – even if a goalscoring cameo in the Reds’ League Cup final defeat to Newcastle United briefly resurrected such questioning.
The harsh fact of the matter is the Italian is Slot’s sixth-choice forward at best, with the Dutchman regularly pointing to the superb form of Mohamed Salah as one reason why his pathway is blocked.
Despite Darwin Nunez being absent from the matchday squad against West Ham United last month, he remained unused. Despite the emphatic nature of Liverpool’s win over Spurs, he was again left only as a spectator.
And ahead of facing Everton at the start of April, one blunt admission from Slot perhaps made his stance clear when it came to the lack of game-time enjoyed by his fringe stars.
“It is not to say that if you don’t play someone, you don’t trust them,” he said. “I do. But probably I find the other ones a bit better otherwise I would make a different choice. Or they fit better in the team.”
Throughout the campaign, Chiesa has been linked with a Liverpool exit. Frequently tipped to return to Italy, the latest reports suggest he is of interest to Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce.
With Nunez, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota also having question marks regarding their futures, it remains to be seen whether the Italian’s Anfield future is nearing its end.
But now the title is won, Slot could perhaps turn to Chiesa more for the final four games of the season. There is nothing on the line, after all.
And having been bombed out by Juventus after being denied a pre-season, perhaps full summer preparations with Liverpool could help kick-start his Reds career. But Slot has no reason to be sentimental now either.
“People kept saying to me, ‘Will you get a game?’,” Andy Lonergan exclusively told the ECHO when recalling his own lack of appearances in the 2019/20 title-winning season under Jurgen Klopp. “I was thinking ‘Blooming heck, there’s three goalkeepers ahead of me!’
“It’s not a charity, the gaffer plays his best players. It was never in my mind at all, you can’t just dish out appearances.”
While a fourth-choice veteran goalkeeper is quite different to being a back-up forward, such a point still stands.
Liverpool’s Premier League champions range
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Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC has launched its Premier League champions range after winning its 20th league title.
Fans can pick up items including the 24/25 Home Stadium Jersey with ‘Champions 20’ printing or ‘Champions 24/25’ today.
Alternatively, opportunities could act as a shop window rather than Anfield audition, if Liverpool were to want to move the forward on this summer.
But Slot has already insisted that sporting director Richard Hughes has no influence on team selection, dismissing claims that Nunez was being left out of the side for financial reasons.
Besides, regardless of whether Chiesa’s future lies at Anfield or elsewhere, Salah remains blocking his pathway. And the Egyptian, who has started all 34 Premier League matches so far this season, will not welcome being left out having already admitted he is pursuing more records before the season is out.
Admittedly, the doorway will be more open next season with the Africa Cup of Nations set to take place in December and January. Consequently, Salah could miss as many as 10 matches, with Liverpool’s need for depth as a result apparent.
Chiesa will feel he has not contributed to the Reds’ Premier League title win, with a maximum of four further appearances when the league is already unlikely to alter any such inner dissatisfaction.
But Liverpool will have a greater need for such a player next season and beyond, as Salah heads deeper into his thirties after signing a new two-year contract.
Slot’s usage of Chiesa over the next month could prove telling as both player and club weigh up his future.
And with the Dutchman preferring to boast six forwards in his squad, the Italian perhaps now has one last chance to fight for his Anfield future.
But if he is not the answer to complete the Reds’ attacking quota, Liverpool will have to consider solutions from elsewhere.