Federico Chiesa has not travelled with the Liverpool first team for their pre-season tour in Japan. A minor niggle best treated on Merseyside, so the club say.
But we all know the decision is carried by the undertow of Chiesa’s wretched debut campaign, having been the only man to sign for Arne Slot’s side last summer, arriving from Juventus in a deal worth just £12.5m.
The 27-year-old had just one year remaining on his deal with the Turin side, and FSG sensed an opportunity. Low risk, high reward.
Sadly, the versatile forward’s time on Merseyside has yielded little personal success, though he will leave a Premier League champion, should he depart as expected.
Premier League
6
–
–
104′
Champions League
3
–
1
107′
Carabao Cup
3
1
1
120′
FA Cup
2
1
–
135′
Injuries and Slot’s unwillingness to hand him minutes don’t detract from the fact that a replacement might be needed, especially since Luis Diaz is the subject of Bayern Munich’s vested interest, with a £58.5m bid already knocked back.
How Liverpool are replacing Federico Chiesa
In a sense, Liverpool have already replaced Chiesa, for they have signed Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen for about £30m. The right-sider is a defender and forward both, with the athleticism and monstrous attacking qualities to provide cover for Mohamed Salah.
Replacing Chiesa comes less from a strictly positional standpoint than the addition of one or two signings who can complete Liverpool’s frontline.
With Florian Wirtz signed for a British record £116m fee, steps have already been taken in this regard. More of a playmaker, the German is nonetheless one of the most dangerous attacking players on the globe.
And Hugo Ekitike is in the process of completing his medical before sealing his move to Anfield. Liverpool agreed a £79m total package with Eintracht Frankfurt for the 23-year-old striker.
However, if Diaz is sold, Liverpool would need a new winger, one preferably who could provide support both on the left and on the right.
Liverpool in the race for Premier League winger
According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool have retained an interest in Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon after being offered the chance to sign the England winger last summer.
Gordon, 24, has been shortlisted along with Lyon prospect Malick Fofana and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo as FSG prepare for Diaz’s potential departure.
However, Gordon’s affiliation with Liverpool (who he supported as a child and played for as an academy member until he was 11) and his Premier League experiences could see a bid placed for him.
The Magpies are looking to bank as much as £100m, and Arsenal are also interested.
Why Liverpool want Anthony Gordon
Gordon might have been of an Everton persuasion in the past, but Liverpool would hit the jackpot by reeling him back over to Merseyside as a Red.
Fast, furious and threatening with a variety of instruments, Gordon has established himself as a real menace, notching 36 goal involvements across the past two Premier League seasons and winning Newcastle’s Player of the Year award for 2023/24.
Not just a sharp attacking presence, Gordon also gets stuck in and contributes across the park. As per Sofascore, he averaged 1.5 key passes and 4.4 successful duels per game last term, thus illustrating his combativeness and crispness on the ball.
And given that he would be a direct Diaz replacement, it’s only fitting that he should be positionally fluid. In this way, he could in fact cover Chiesa’s position when called upon, also capable of moonlighting as a centre-forward, like Diaz did so expertly last year.
Left winger
124
26
29
Right winger
53
8
8
Attacking midfield
21
13
2
Centre-forward
16
5
1
Gordon’s performances since swapping Everton for Newcastle have seen him spring from the floor, but his ceiling’s higher still.
Declaring himself “a nightmare for anyone” he comes up against, Gordon has the experience to dovetail right into Liverpool’s first team, with his dynamic skills making him an exciting teammate for any forward looking to make their way.
All this is to say that Gordon could actually prove to be an even bigger talent than Ekitike, who has been named “one of the best strikers out there” by analyst Ben Mattinson but has yet to pass the English top-flight test.
The Frenchman might need a bit of time to bed in, whereas Gordon would be expected to hit the ground running.
That’s not a blight on Ekitike’s skill set. He is indeed one of the most exciting prospects out there, and he could shape into a world-beater for a fluent Liverpool side so rich with quality to ease him into his touted talismanic role.
But Gordon has already hit an astounding level in the Premier League, and joining Slot’s brood, he would be expected to raise his bar once again, taking a leaf from Ryan Gravenberch’s book, from Cody Gakpo’s.
Moreover, the fact that Liverpool’s interest stretches back to last summer makes a rather interesting comment on the depth of their intrigue, and indeed how the powers that be appear to be in concert: this is a player that the club need to sign, for he could not only replace Diaz but rise to a level above the Colombia star.
Ekitike is a talented player, but Liverpool know that he is a work in progress. Gordon may well be too, but he would be expected to lead with confidence, all the while reaching a level which might truly blow the Merseyside fanbase away.
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