Soccer Football - Friendly - Liverpool v Athletic Bilbao - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 4, 2025 Liverpool's Florian Wirtz and Federico Chiesa Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
Liverpool will return to Premier League action this weekend when they host Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds started the season strongly but have fallen out of form in recent weeks, suffering three consecutive defeats ahead of the international break.
Arne Slot has high expectations to live up to after winning the Premier League in his first season and will be looking for ways to get his squad back on track both domestically and in Europe.
Many of the players have joined their respective national teams for World Cup qualifiers, with standout performances from Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike, potentially bringing some confidence back to the club.
Liverpool spent an eye-watering £450m on summer recruitment, adding further firepower to their attack with record-breaking deals for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
It remains unclear whether the Reds will follow up their summer spending with additional reinforcements in the January transfer window, but reports suggest there has been a change of heart regarding one player.
According to Football Insider, Liverpool have made a U-turn on their decision to sell Federico Chiesa in the new year.
The publication claims that sources have revealed the talented Italian is set to play a bigger role in Slot’s plans after impressing during the opening weeks of the campaign.
Should Liverpool keep Federico Chiesa?
There is no doubt that Chiesa has won the hearts of supporters, with a catchy chant in his honour often heard echoing around Anfield.
Despite spending hundreds of millions on new attacking options, Liverpool have struggled to find the back of the net so far this season, with Mohamed Salah scoring only three times in all competitions.
With the arrivals of Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz, it was expected that Chiesa would struggle for game time after making just six appearances in last season’s title-winning campaign.
However, the 27-year-old – described as an “amazing character” by Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk – has been a bright spark in the few opportunities given to him by his Dutch manager.
Fans will remember that he inspired the comeback against Bournemouth, scoring the winner in the 88th minute with his first Premier League goal despite only being on the pitch for eight minutes.
He followed that up with his second goal in the defeat to Crystal Palace, which prompted calls for the winger to feature more regularly.
He was later rewarded with a place in the Champions League squad to replace the injured Giovanni Leoni.
While his contributions haven’t been consistent, neither has his game time, a factor that naturally limits his ability to build rhythm; however, recent performances could see his minutes increase across all competitions.
Given Liverpool’s current struggles in front of goal, it makes perfect sense for Chiesa not only to be utilised more often but also to have his future at the club secured for the rest of the season.
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