A frustrating first season with Liverpool led to talk of Federico Chiesa making a quick return to Italy but recent noises out of Merseyside suggest he could be staying put.

Here, Destination Calcio looks at his journey so far and what happens next.

The Summer Chiesa Shone

For fans in England, the Federico Chiesa they know is the one that dazzled four years ago at the delayed Euro 2020. Chiesa was voted into the team of the tournament after he bamboozled defenders and provided the main attacking impetus for an Italian side crowned champions after beating England in the final.

He was on the bench for the tournament’s first two games but soon made a big impact. Chiesa started the last group win and then came off the bench to score a crucial goal in the last-16 against Austria. Chiesa started every game thereafter, provided pace and dynamism in attack, and scored a fantastic goal against Spain in the semi-finals.

Since then he has suffered, his form has dipped and he has been written off by some. However, at 27 the Italian became a Premier League champion with Liverpool and he has plenty of football ahead of him.

A Tough Start At Anfield

Arne Slot’s first season in charge of the Reds coincided with Chiesa’s arrival. The winger and his efforts were applauded by fans and team-mates all season, despite his limited game time and an injury early in the campaign not helping. Chiesa became a social media cult hero amongst fans, purely for his joy and bewilderment at signing for the club and enthusiasm in every training session.

Since the end of last season, he has been heavily linked with Italian sides, including Napoli, Roma, Milan and Juventus.

A campaign of domestic and European football with the likes of Roma or Napoli this season might be the perfect way to increase minutes and break into a team that does not include players such as Mohamed Salah or Luis Díaz. Yet, you get the feeling that Liverpool fans and the man himself might be hungry for things to work out on Merseyside.

For a time it seemed like Liverpool were happy to let him go, and it would have been the easy option to return home, but it looks like circumstances have changed and Chiesa might yet have another go at reigniting his career at Liverpool. Dare we say it, just in time to help Italy reach the 2026 World Cup?

A year ago, plenty of Reds fans were genuinely excited by his arrival, despite various injury problems and just 14 goals in his last 70 matches with Juventus. Those fans are frustrated that things have not worked out to date but they remain keen to see Chiesa succeed.

Positive Signs

Chiesa could have been forgiven for cutting a more frustrated figure towards the end of last term but that was far from the case. After all, he played just 116 minutes of Premier League football in 2024-25.

In the League Cup final he made a late cameo appearance for the Reds, playing the last 15 minutes of the defeat by Newcastle. He was Liverpool’s best player – fitting that he felt so rejuvenated back on the famous Wembley turf once more.

Chiesa worked like a dog on the left wing. He was fouled three times, resulting in dangerous set-pieces and he also won four ground duels from four; pressing with fierce intensity. He got on the scoresheet deep in injury-time for a consolation.

The point is, Chiesa proved his worth when given the opportunity last season. He showed his quality in and out of possession, and to do so with such little football in the tank, on the big occasion, speaks volumes. He has the talent and the motivation, and fans adore how he speaks about the club on camera.

A Second Chance

In Liverpool’s first pre-season game earlier this month, against Preston, Chiesa was deployed as a centre-forward. He performed well. He got in behind, looked sharp and direct when he got the ball, and helped set up the Liverpool opener with some clever feet.

It was an emotional occasion, the first Liverpool match since the sad passing of forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre. The club have since retired the No 20 in Jota’s memory.

Summer rumours have suggested that forwards Darwin Nuñez and Díaz might be on the way out of Anfield. If that were to be the case, Cody Gakpo, Salah and Chiesa would be the only out-and-out attackers left in squad.

The Reds have made it clear that they will bring in more players than just Florian Wirtz this summer, but Chiesa could be seen as the second choice No 9 behind a new signing, and of course as an option to fill in on the wings. The Merseysiders like to have six options in the front line, but Chiesa is one of just three or four.

On the international front, it’s a World Cup year and Italy have a lot of work to do if they are to qualify. Norway are in charge of their group with a play-off looking the most likely route for the Italians. But a fit and firing Chiesa would do no harm.

He has not played for Italy since their disappointing Euro 2024 campaign, and he has not scored for his country since October 2023. A return to form would open the door very quickly.