Federico Chiesa transfer: Liverpool agree £12.5m deal with Juventus for Italian forward | Football News

Liverpool have agreed a £12.5million deal with Juventus to sign Italian striker Federico Chiesa.

The 26-year-old’s transfer fee is £10m upfront, plus £2.5m in add-ons, mainly based on his first-team performances, with Liverpool likely to offer him a four-year deal at Anfield.

Sky Sports News revealed on Monday that Liverpool had made enquiries about the player, who had been told he could leave Juve.

Barcelona are also said to be interested in Chiesa, but are struggling to free up the margin in their payroll to register him. At the same time, interest from Saudi Arabia is said to be Liverpool’s biggest competitor in securing his signature.

Chiesa signed a permanent contract with Juventus in 2022, after initially joining on a two-year loan from Fiorentina. He made 98 appearances for the club, scoring 21 goals.

‘Chiesa has so much talent – but needs to develop’

Italian football expert Mina Rzouki on Sky Sports News:

“He is an incredibly direct player, he can play on the left or the right. He can even play as a second striker, although he is not a big fan of that himself.

“You just have to look at the game against Spain at Euro 2020, and even the final. It’s his acceleration, his dribbling, his top speed, he covers a lot of ground.

“As he gets older, it’s a little less, but that’s partly the style of play of Juventus. He’s not someone who takes up space in exactly the way that Italian coaches like to see him, or what’s needed in Serie A.

“Sometimes he can’t let go of his defender and he doesn’t have the full connection with a coach who has been able to fully develop his talent.

“He has a lot of talent and great technique, but it’s about reading the game well, knowing how to deal with your teammates and how to take out defenders.

“That’s not really his strong point; it can be head-down at times, dribbling, a one-man band. He’s got a beautiful finish, but it’s about getting him more into the team dynamic.”

When does the summer transfer window close?

The Summer transfer window 2024 officially closes on August 30 at 11pm UK time in the Premier League and 11.30pm in Scotland.

The Premier League has brought forward Deadline Day to align with other major leagues in Europe. The cut-off dates were set after consultation with leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.