Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Federico Chiesa from Juventus for £10m plus £2.5m in add-ons, with the forward travelling to Merseyside for a medical.
The 26-year-old Italy international operates mainly as a winger or a second striker and if the deal is completed as expected he will be Arne Slot’s second signing as Liverpool manager, following Tuesday’s €30m capture of Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia, subject to a work permit and international clearance being granted. The Georgia goalkeeper will formally move to Anfield from the Spanish club before the 2025-26 season.
“I’m ready to start this new adventure, I wanted to say goodbye to the Juventus fans,” Chiesa told waiting journalists as he prepared to board a flight from Turin to Liverpool 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.”
Chiesa’s impending arrival at Liverpool is something of a surprise given the impressive attacking options already at Slot’s disposal, namely Mohammed Salah, Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo. Also because Liverpool’s priority this window appeared to be signing a defensive midfielder, with a move for Spain Euro 2024 winner Martín Zubimendi from Real Sociedad falling through earlier this month.
In targeting Chiesa, who was a star of Italy’s triumphant Euro 2020 campaign and has scored 32 goals in 131 appearances for Juventus, including 10 in 37 appearances last season, it appears Liverpool are seeking to make the type of “opportunistic” signing their new sporting director, Richard Hughes, claimed was a possibility when speaking to journalists at Slot’s unveiling as the club’s new head coach in early July. “We need to improve on the training pitch first and foremost, as Arne said. With the window open, we’ll always be opportunistic if we can,” said Hughes.
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Chiesa’s father, Enrico, was a striker who also played for Italy in the mid-to-late 1990s, scoring seven goals in 17 international appearances.
