Arne Slot Discusses Federico Chiesa’s Initial Performances and Future Potential

Federico Chiesa has made only four appearances since his transfer from Juventus to Liverpool, in a deal that could eventually reach £12.5m. He entered the game as a substitute for Trent Alexander-Arnold during the 2-1 Carabao Cup victory against Southampton, prompting manager Arne Slot to state: “I think what I saw is what you can expect.” Slot elaborated on Chiesa’s current form, noting: “If a player is out for five or six months you cannot expect (too much). I saw ups and downs.” He further commented: “I saw some really good moments and I saw some moments where I felt like, ‘OK, you can do better than this.’ For me, that’s completely normal if a player has been out for so long.” The manager acknowledged the difficulty of bringing Chiesa back to his peak, stating: “To get him back to his best is not easy. But it was good to see that he showed some quality already.” Slot also emphasized the high level of competition within the team, adding: “But it’s the same for him like the youngsters, it’s not enough to play at this level, you have to compete with Mo Salah, Cody Gakpo, Lucho [Diaz], Darwin and Diogo.” He concluded by expressing satisfaction with Chiesa’s return and his early contributions: “But it’s good to see that he’s back and that he had a few good moments in the game.”