Arne Slot Reveals Why Federico Chiesa Will Transform Liverpool in Ways Fans Never Expected
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has emphasized that Federico Chiesa has overcome his previous season's struggles and is now prepared to contribute significantly to the team.
The Merseyside club invested up to £12.5 million ($16.9 million) to acquire Chiesa from Juventus during the summer transfer window, however a string of fitness issues and competing for the same position as PFA Player of the Year Mohamed Salah resulted in the Italian featuring in only 14 matches across all tournaments in his debut campaign.
Chiesa faced speculation about a potential return to Serie A during the summer, but emerged from the substitutes' bench to score a vital goal in Liverpool's 4–2 victory against Bournemouth in the season opener, subsequently expressing his commitment to remaining at Anfield.
Slot is eager to continue developing Chiesa, acknowledging that the player appears dramatically different from his previous season's form.
"I observe a completely transformed Federico compared to much of last season," Slot addressed the press.
"This is entirely understandable given he missed the entire pre-season preparation and then had to adapt to Premier League tempo regarding match frequency and physical demands.
"When he maintains his availability, he increases his opportunities to influence our outcomes and playing minutes. However, it depends on him maintaining his current fitness levels. He's in a significantly better position now, and as everyone witnessed when we required a goal and I surveyed the bench, I only had him and Rio [Ngumoha], a 16-year-old, as offensive alternatives.
"For me, despite Rio's excellent pre-season performances, it was quite an obvious decision to introduce him and he performed admirably."
Another Italian addition, teenage defender Giovanni Leoni, joined Chiesa at Liverpool this summer in a transaction valued at £30 million, with Slot encouraging supporters to show equal enthusiasm for the center-back.
"He has participated in three training sessions with us so far," Slot detailed. "Considering his transfer value, you can anticipate that he's already quite mature for his years—and that's precisely what I witnessed.
"He arrives as an 18-year-old seamlessly integrating with his new colleagues as though he's been here longer. Remarkable; observing his height, pace, and ball-handling comfort. There's a clear reason we invested the transfer sum we did, as we view him as a promising talent.
"It also reflects positively on the squad. When you join this club, when you enter this team, you feel comfortable immediately because it's an excellent and welcoming group to begin your Liverpool journey with."