Federico Chiesa agreement reached as Liverpool January plan takes shape…

Agreement reached for Federico Chiesa as Liverpool’s January strategy begins to take form.

This season, Federico Chiesa has sparked considerable discussion among Liverpool fans, and he may soon have a significant role under Arne Slot.

Chiesa is not the only Liverpool player capturing attention during a challenging start to the season.

The immediate prospects for both Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah could now be linked as Reds manager Arne Slot navigates the situation.

Few would dispute that Salah has not been performing at his usual high level this season, while Chiesa has largely capitalized on his first-team chances, contributing two goals and two assists in under 180 minutes of play.

Salah has recently aided Egypt in qualifying for the World Cup and may be absent for as many as 10 matches starting from Christmas due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Although Slot has tentatively identified Jeremie Frimpong for the right-flank position during Salah’s absence, could Chiesa emerge as a viable alternative?

While he has not yet returned to his peak form in the initial weeks of the new season, the prospect of a late-December period without Mohamed Salah should be a concern for Arne Slot.

This period is one of the busiest in the Premier League calendar, making the potential loss of the Egyptian star far from ideal.

However, Liverpool is accustomed to this situation, as the Africa Cup of Nations occurs every two years.

The costly overhaul of the attacking lineup during the summer means that players like Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, and Florian Wirtz will need to step up and take on the responsibility for goals and assists in Salah’s absence, with Cody Gakpo also expected to play a crucial role.

As the door for Salah is set to close temporarily for Slot, the opportunity for Federico Chiesa opens up, and a fit and motivated Italian could be just what the team needs later in the season.

The man-of-the-match performance against Southampton in the Carabao Cup was succeeded by an equaliser from the bench at Crystal Palace recently. However, his momentum has been interrupted this time due to a minor injury that prevented him from traveling to Galatasaray, and he also remained on the bench during the Chelsea match.

If he can approach full fitness by the end of December, Chiesa will be the ideal candidate to step in for Salah. Although this has been mentioned repeatedly during the former Juventus player’s tenure at Merseyside, the AFCON will leave Slot with limited options.

Jeremie Frimpong was acquired as a potential substitute for Salah, but Chiesa is a more natural choice as a forward. Despite his adaptability, Frimpong is essentially a wing-back filling in. Therefore, AFCON could be the perfect opportunity for Chiesa to excel, provided he can regain his fitness.

Ian Doyle

First and foremost, Mohamed Salah is set to regain his form, and his two goals for Egypt midweek should serve as a confidence booster, alleviating any worries he might have about his performance.

Salah will not become dispensable overnight. Consequently, Liverpool will feel his absence when he departs for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which takes place from December 21 to January 18.

Jeremie Frimpong seemed to be the most probable replacement, with Arne Slot already trying to integrate him into that role.

Hugo Ekitike could also potentially fill in, given his versatility across the forward line, but he may be required in other positions. Meanwhile, Cody Gakpo currently remains the preferred option on the left wing, although he did play on the right when Salah participated in the AFCON two years ago.

It’s easy to overlook that Federico Chiesa was brought in from Juventus last summer primarily to serve as Salah’s backup.

Opportunities have been limited since then. However, Chiesa has emerged as a more feasible attacking option for Liverpool this season and is expected to receive playing time in the coming months, potentially filling in for the Egyptian.

Will he be a starter in every match during Salah’s absence? No. Yet, with numerous fixtures during the holiday season across different competitions, there will be chances for Chiesa to assert his position.

Moreover, in contrast to last season, he has demonstrated his ability to contribute positively.