"Unfortunately for him he's in competition with Mo Salah" - Arne Slot on why one Liverpool star has struggled for game time this season
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has revealed why Federico Chiesa has struggled for game time this season. The Italian winger joined the Reds last summer from Juventus. However, he has not been a regular in the starting lineup.
Liverpool will face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Monday, May 19. While addressing the media prior to that game, Slot commented on why Chiesa is not getting enough minutes at Liverpool. He said (via James Pearce of The Athletic on X):
"In terms of the quality he has, he deserves more playing time but unfortunately for him he's in competition with Mo Salah. On the left, it's competition with Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz. Three players who have had a great season."
Federico Chiesa has featured in only five Premier League games and notched just 41 minutes. Similarly, in the UEFA Champions League, he has clocked only 107 minutes across three appearances, providing a solitary assist. It's only in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, where he has been more visible, scoring twice and assisting once across five games across both competitions.
The Italian winger, who holds 51 caps for the Italian national side, was a mainstay in his former club Juventus. Last season, he was mostly deployed as a second striker and secured 10 goals and three assists across 37 fixtures.
The attacking depth of Liverpool and Chiesa's future
Liverpool won their 20th English top-flight title this term, and behind that feat is their sublime attacking unit. The Reds have scored 83 goals in 36 Premier League matches.
Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah is leading the Golden Boot race with 28 goals. He has scored 33.73% of the side's goals in the league. On the other hand, there is Dutch international Cody Gakpo and Colombian forward Luis Diaz.
Slot has used Gakpo and Diaz alternatively on the wing and in a central role, to fill the void of an off-colour Darwin Nunez. While Gakpo has secured 10 goals and four assists in the league, Diaz has impressed with 20 goal contributions (13 goals, seven assists).
Hence, it is obvious that Federico Chiesa did not get enough minutes for the Anfield-based club. However, the Italian winger might be on the verge of an exit. A report by Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sports Illustrated) has claimed that Serie A title contenders Napoli are in advanced stages of negotiations with the player.
This has led to speculations that Chiesa, who made a £10 million move last summer to Anfield, might return to Italy, after spending just one season in England.
