Only 123 minutes played
Federico Chiesa, from almost arriving at Barça to being ostracized at Liverpool
The Genoese striker was a very serious option to reinforce the left wing of the club at a reduced cost at the end of the summer transfer market, but finances did not allow the operation to be undertaken
The start of Federico Chiesa's 'red' era is far from being any footballer's dream. The Italian striker was the only signing in the summer transfer window, paid for with 13 million euros, but he is barely having any participation under the command of Arne Slot. In fact, he has played only 123 minutes with the team that resides at Anfield, although he has also played with the reserve team players to get some experience and regain sensations.
His departure from Juventus this summer was a fact. Thiago Motta had put the 'for sale' sign on him and did not plan to count on him. The Turin club, after receiving delays with his renewal for months, accepted the decision of the new coach. Thus, after being linked with several Premier League teams, the ex-Fiorentina player was offered by his agent, Fali Ramadani, who is close to Laporta, to FC Barcelona, who had already given up on signing Nico Williams. Although the Blaugrana team tried to complete the operation, finances did not give any respite and the player, due to the lack of movements by the Catalan team, ended up in England.
Four games played with Liverpool
The reality is that the Genoa striker has barely played this season. He has played 123 minutes, spread over 4 games. However, September 30 is a turning point for him. Until then, he had played in 3 matches, in which he had managed to provide an assist. Regarding playing time, he had not even played a full match. On the aforementioned date, Federico suffered a muscle injury that kept him out of Arne Slot's discipline for 72 days, a total of 15 matches.
When he recovered, the Dutch coach decided that the best option for him was to go down to the reserve team to get some experience and regain good sensations. He spent an hour on the pitch, where, despite scoring a goal against the Danish Nordsjaelland reserve team, he was disconnected for a few minutes and lacked rhythm. Within reason, this is something logical, as he did not have a pre-season after being sidelined with Juventus.
Almost a week ago, on December 18, he returned to defend the Liverpool shield with his team. The 27-year-old striker reappeared at St. Mary's Stadium against Southampton, with a 0-2 on the scoreboard. He played the entire second half and showed good feelings. However, last weekend, Chiesa was not called up for the overwhelming victory of the 'red' team at the Tottenham stadium (3-6). When asked about this situation, Arne Slot alluded to his physical condition: "If a player is out for five or six months, you cannot expect him to be at his best immediately."
Only time will tell whether the poor financial situation hurt Barça by making it impossible to sign the Italian winger or whether, on the contrary, it made them dodge a bullet. The financial risk was low for a player of his stature, 13 million euros, but if the player does not take off, it could end up being a bad investment.
