Well, the wait is finally over! Liverpool have
just agreed on a 12.5 million pounds deal with Juventus to bring in Italy forward Federico
Chiesa. This is bad news for Barcelona and some Saudi clubs but it looks like the Reds might
have just pulled off a sneaky good signing! It might look like Liverpool is simply
taking advantage of a market opportunity, especially considering the reported
fee and Chiesa’s age. However, there’s also an intriguing
tactical element to this move. One of the reasons why Liverpool
wanted the Italian could be because, in Arne Slot’s system, wingers are a big
deal. He loves them to be unpredictable, great in those one-on-one duels,
and able to carry and move the ball forward while connecting with their teammates.
He is happy with his wingers cutting inside, letting the full-backs overlap and put a
lot of low crosses from the byline—it’s a key part of his playbook. Chiesa had
2.4 carries into the penalty area per 90 minutes - the highest among forwards in Italy.
Chiesa might’ve had a tough time last season, but he's a forward who looks like he could
slide right into that role perfectly. When it comes to creativity, Chiesa still has
that magic touch! He only got two league assists last season, but his expected assisted goals
was 6.2, showing he set up solid chances that just weren’t finished. A big part of his
creative play was his dribbling—Chiesa’s shot-creating actions from take-ons per 90
put him in the top 4% of attackers in Serie A. Versatility is huge in today’s football, and
Chiesa has it covered. He can play in all three attacking positions as a left winger, right winger
and even as a number 9. Last season, Chiesa spent a lot of time playing centrally for Juventus,
either alongside or in place of Dusan Vlahovic. This role helped him have one of his best
club seasons, with 10 goals and three assists. But wait, is this the ideal move for
Liverpool? They've already got a pretty stacked attack with Mohamed Salah, Diogo
Jota, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, and Darwin Nunez. So, why bring in another forward?
Well, here’s the deal: Chiesa favors right hand side of the pitch, which just so happens
to be Salah’s territory. And let’s be honest, Salah isn’t getting any younger. Liverpool
are clearly thinking ahead, making sure they have a solid backup plan in place.
With Chiesa in the mix, Liverpool gets some experienced depth on that right
side, which could come in handy. So far, new head coach Arne Slot has been using Jota and
Nunez in the central striker role, while Diaz and Gakpo have been handling the left wing.
Salah’s been a rock on the right wing, both in terms of performance and staying fit, so Klopp never really needed a dedicated backup
for him. But now that Salah’s hitting 32, Liverpool might be planning to rotate him a bit
more to keep him fresh for those big moments. Chiesa has already proven himself at the
highest level. He was arguably Italy’s standout player when they won Euro 2020,
and he could’ve done even more at Juventus if not for a string of injuries and fitness
issues. Talent has never been a question for the 26-year-old, who now seems set
for a move to the Premier League. Still, some Liverpool fans might be worried
about his injury history. But there’s some optimism here—there’s a common belief that
players coming back from ACL injuries lose a bit of pace, but Chiesa proves otherwise.
He clocked a 34.4 km/h sprint at Euro 2024, only behind Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai
for speed in the Premier League last season. Slot has a solid track record for
injury prevention at his previous clubs, and with lead physical performance coach
Ruben Peeters at Liverpool, the hope is that this can continue. If Chiesa stays fit,
he’s a top-tier player, and everyone knows it. All in all, it looks like a low risk high
reward transfer, Liverpool gets a solid player for just 12.5 million, which in this market is
considered cheap. We will have to wait and see how Chiesa does in the red kit and that is all
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