‘I Don’t Understand It’ – Arne Slot questioned as Federico Chiesa Liverpool exit nears

Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa appears increasingly likely to leave Anfield, with criticism now emerging in Italy over how he has been handled under Arne Slot.

Italian newspaper TuttoSport reported on Wednesday that Chiesa is prepared to take a wage cut in order to facilitate a return to Juventus. That willingness is expected to help the Turin side, who are confident they can meet Liverpool’s valuation but have so far struggled to match the player’s salary.

Juventus’ opening proposal was a loan with an option to buy. Liverpool, however, have pushed for stronger guarantees, preferring any deal to include an obligation to purchase. The Reds paid between €12m and €15m to sign Chiesa in 2024 and are seeking to recoup that outlay.

As negotiations progress, scrutiny has turned towards Slot’s limited use of the Italy international.

Speaking to Tuttomercatoweb, Maurizio Romei, president of Chiesa’s boyhood club Settignanese, questioned why the winger has struggled for minutes in England.

Romei said he had hoped Chiesa would play far more, particularly because he believes English football suits him well due to the space and tempo. He explained that he watches Premier League matches regularly and feels Chiesa has been underused, adding that when the winger has played, he has performed “very, very well”, aside from dealing with minor injury issues.

The conversation then turned directly to Slot’s apparent lack of trust.

Romei said Liverpool already have strong forwards, starting with Mohamed Salah, but admitted he does not understand why Chiesa has not been used more. He pointed out that the player has not caused any problems behind the scenes and highlighted the positive reaction from teammates when Chiesa scored, describing the situation as “a mystery”.

That sense of confusion reflects a wider feeling in Italy that Chiesa’s Liverpool spell has never truly been given the chance to develop. Despite contributing to nine goals across all competitions since his arrival, the 28-year-old has logged just 995 minutes — a return that suggests strong output when measured against his playing time.

Perhaps the clearest signal came during Salah’s absence, when Slot still opted not to rely on Chiesa. For many observers, that decision spoke volumes about the Dutch coach’s trust — or lack thereof — in the winger, even when attacking options were limited.

Romei believes Chiesa’s return would be a major boost for Juventus under Luciano Spalletti.

He said Chiesa would undoubtedly raise the level of the squad and help the team improve, even if he remains sceptical about Juventus winning the Scudetto this season due to the strength of their rivals. Romei praised Spalletti as a proven winner, referencing his past successes, and suggested results would come despite the challenges of rebuilding.

Those comments align with growing confidence in Italy that a deal can be completed quickly, particularly given Chiesa’s openness to compromise financially and Liverpool’s clear stance on the structure of any exit.

With Liverpool unconvinced by Chiesa’s long-term fit and Juventus actively working on terms, the direction of travel appears clear. Unless Slot’s stance changes suddenly, a return to Serie A now looks a matter of timing rather than possibility.

Has Liverpool mismanaged Federico Chiesa — or is a Juventus return simply the right move for all sides?