Chiesa still not part of Liverpool plans heading into 2026-27
Quick summary
Italian journalist Iraloa hints that Federico Chiesa remains outside Liverpool's plans for the 2026-27 season, suggesting the winger's future lies away from Anfield.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceLiverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has made it clear that he wants to bring in another winger ahead of his first season at Anfield, which does not look encouraging for Federico Chiesa, whose opportunities were massively limited under previous Reds boss Arne Slot.
Chiesa opportunities still expected to be limited under Iraola: ‘We definitely need to sign a new winger’ Chiesa has spent the last two seasons on Merseyside after being forced away from Juventus with one year remaining on his contract in the summer of 2024. Despite joining in a €15m deal, Chiesa was limited to just six Premier League appearances in his first season in England, five of which came off the bench.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – JANUARY 01: Federico Chiesa of Liverpool is challenged by Pascal Struijk of Leeds United during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Leeds United at Anfield on January 01, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images) He was handed an increased set of opportunities in 2025-26, appearing in 26 Premier League matches with two goals and an assist on his record, but was still unable to establish himself as a regular first-choice option.
Now with Iraola in charge heading into the 2026-27 season, Liverpool are still on the hunt for a new first-team winger, which means that opportunities for Chiesa at Anfield are still likely to be limited despite the departure of Mohamed Salah.
“There are obvious situations that we know where we need to sign players,” said Iraola during a pre-season press conference on Wednesday.
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – MAY 19: Andoni Iraola, Manager of AFC Bournemouth, acknowledges the fans following the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Manchester City at Vitality Stadium on May 19, 2026 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images) He continued: “A winger, for example – we definitely need to sign a winger. But there are other situations that we will have to analyse what the market gives you, what’s the cost, how we also see the players we have. We have some tricky positions where we have injured players that we trust but is still not the ideal situation. So, it will depend on a lot of things.”
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What happened
Federico Chiesa's time at Liverpool appears set to end before the 2026-27 campaign. Having struggled for consistent minutes since his move from Juventus, reports now indicate the Italian winger is not in the club's long-term thinking. With limited impact in the Premier League and Arne Slot's system evolving, Liverpool are expected to seek a resolution — likely a sale or loan — in the upcoming window. Chiesa, who joined Liverpool to reinvigorate his career, has found game time scarce and may need a move to revive his international prospects ahead of future tournaments.
Chance analysis
Chiesa's exclusion from Liverpool's 2026-27 planning signals a clear separation between player and club. For Liverpool, this frees up a squad spot and wage budget for new recruitment in attack, where they may target a more profile-fitting forward. For Chiesa, a move — likely back to Serie A where his stock remains higher — is essential for regular minutes and Italy national team relevance. This effectively ends a transfer experiment that never fully clicked.
Chiesa's Liverpool career is effectively over, likely leading to a summer 2026 departure and freeing Liverpool to recruit a replacement attacker.
Treat Chiesa as unavailable for long-term Liverpool projections; expect Liverpool to seek attacking reinforcements.