Have Faith in Chiesa: Why Euro 2020 Winner Could Be a Bargain for Liverpool

“Abbi fede in Fede“. Have faith in Fede.

So ran the message underneath a mural of Jesus, whose face had been replaced by Federico Chiesa’s – whose surname, aptly, translates to church in English.

La Gazzetta dello Sport published the picture during Euro 2020, at the peak of Chiesa-mania.

The winger was a standout performer for the Azzurri at the tournament, scoring the opener in the Round of 16 against Austria and against Spain in the semi-final and was a constant thorn in England’s side in the final.

And Liverpool have shown faith in Chiesa, signing the forward from Juventus in a deal worth £10m with £2.5m in performance-related add-ons.

Chiesa, who signed a four-year deal at Anfield, will bolster Arne Slot’s already rich array of attacking options, which includes Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo.

Liverpool have long been admirers of the Italian and decided to follow up their interest once Juventus made him available for a cut-price after it became apparent he would not feature in Thiago Motta’s plans.

“I’m ready to start this new adventure, I wanted to say goodbye to the Juventus fans,” Chiesa, whose father Enrico scored 139 Serie A goals in 380 matches and scored at Anfield for Italy at Euro ’96, said on Wednesday afternoon. 

“Thank you for your affection and for these years, I will carry you in my heart and thanks to Juventus.

“Is it sad to leave Juve like this? It’s sad but I’m really happy for this new adventure. I’m really happy and my family and I can’t wait.”

The Italy international scored 34 times in 154 appearances for Fiorentina, before joining Juventus on loan in 2020, a move which became permanent two years later for €50m (£42.3m).

Chiesa won the Coppa Italia in 2021 and 2024 with the Bianconeri, scoring 32 goals in 131 matches since moving to Turin.

Highs and lows in Turin

His stay on the banks of the River Po, however, was not always easy.

The 26-year-old was sidelined for nine months after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Roma in January 2022.

Chiesa never quite looked the same player following his return to action, starting just six of his 21 Serie A appearances the following season when he missed a further 16 matches due to muscular injuries.

His reward for returning to full fitness at the beginning of last season was being confronted with Massimiliano Allegri’s tactical intransigence.

The former Juventus boss saw Chiesa as a second striker in his 3-5-2 formation in support of Dusan Vlahovic, a role Chiesa never took to as he often tended to drift out wide. More than once, Chiesa visibly displayed his dissatisfaction with Allegri’s ultra-pragmatic style of play, resulting in patchy performances.

His frustration on the pitch was only exacerbated by issues off it, with Juventus increasingly reluctant to extend Chiesa’s €5m-a-year contract, which was due to expire at the end of this season. Reports earlier in the summer suggested that Chiesa wanted an increase in salary (something he later denied), and with Juve’s finances still suffering in the post-Covid era, with no main sponsorship on their shirt and no Champions League football last season, sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has been tasked with lowering the wage bill.

Moreover, once it was understood that new Juve boss Thiago Motta seemingly had no plans to incorporate Chiesa into his side, with the former Bologna coach wanting alternative options, his time at the club was as good as over.

Juve never offered Chiesa a new deal

Significantly, upon leaving Turin, the player made clear that talks over a new deal never got started.

“I have never received a new contract offer from Juventus,” he wrote on social media.

“Therefore neither myself nor my agent have ever entertained discussions with the club about a pay rise or about reducing my salary.”

And yet for all the lingering malaise on and off the pitch, Chiesa still scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 37 appearances across all competitions for Juventus last season.

Similarly, while he may not be the player who stole the show at Euro 2020, Chiesa is only 26 and, if fit, his best years should still be ahead of him.

At £10m, the Italian could prove to be a bargain for Liverpool, fitting the approach outlined in July by their new sporting director, Richard Hughes.

“With the window open, we’ll always be opportunistic if we can,” Hughes said in July.

Slot’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation could be the key to unlocking Chiesa’s brilliance, who could likely team up with Alexis Mac Allister on the left side, offering something extra from the bench given Liverpool’s fight on four fronts.

The playmaker role suits Chiesa best who, for all of his talent, never reached double figures for Juve in any of his injury-free campaigns, and inconsistency was always a major theme in his game. The issue is whether Liverpool can get him back to his Euro 2020 levels, but the likely outcome is that version of Chiesa won’t return.

Liverpool have been opportunistic and have shown faith in Fede. It’s now up to him to repay them.

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