When Liverpool signed Federico Chiesa for a paltry €13 million in 2024, most people thought they had pulled off the bargain of all time. A European Championship hero, an Italian international in his prime, and at that price? It had to be a gift from Turin.
But two years later, the story is quite different. Chiesa has now been left out of Liverpool’s Champions League squad under Andoni Iraola, and the questions are pouring in: What went wrong? And why were Juventus so willing to get rid of one of Italy’s biggest stars?
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Excess in Turin – despite 11 goals
Chiesa had a solid 2023/24 season with 11 goals and two assists. Still, he was seen as redundant at Juventus. His contract was coming to an end, and the club wanted to get rid of his salary. But the price surprised everyone.
Italian football expert Stefano Buonfino explains in Transfermarkt why Juventus let him go for a lick and nothing:
“Chiesa has simply not delivered the goods at Juventus. Firstly, the serious knee injury he suffered in January 2022 left a big mark. Even after he returned, he struggled for months to fully trust his own body,” Buonfino said.
He adds:
“In addition, he was often used as a support striker – a role he doesn’t fit in at all. He’s a real winger, and that’s where he reaches his best. The combination of injury history, wrong position and high salary meant that Juventus simply didn’t want to keep him anymore.
Ipswich vs Liverpool: Premier League clash at Portman Road
A price that was compared to a “joke”
Several observers pointed out at the time that the transfer fee was ridiculously low – especially in light of what Liverpool have previously paid for players such as El Hadji Diouf (2002) and Emile Heskey (2000). Chiesa, with his Euro halo from 2020, should have cost a fortune. Instead, he was sold for a fraction of his real market value.
From coup to nightmare
For Liverpool supporters, the transfer seemed like a gift package. The 2020 European Championship hero, the energetic Italian with drive and technique – at that price? It was almost too good to be true.
And maybe it was.
Chiesa has struggled enormously to establish himself at Anfield. Under Arne Slot, he barely gained confidence, and under Iraola’s direction, the situation has not improved. After two full seasons in a Liverpool shirt, he has only made 50 appearances in all competitions – a very meagre return for a player of his calibre.
📊 The statistics that speak for themselves
| Tournament | Matches | Objectives | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 32 | 2 | 1 |
| Champions League | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| FA Cup | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| EFL Cup | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 50 | 5 | 5 |
Source: Transfermarkt (as of 03.09.26)
Now Liverpool have an expensive problem: A player who hardly plays, but who still has a name and a past that creates expectations. For Chiesa himself, his time in the Premier League is becoming a chapter he would rather forget.
The question is whether he will ever have the opportunity to write a new, more positive chapter – or whether Liverpool’s “coup” will end up as one of the club’s most expensive misinvestments in recent times.
