Arne Slot confirms Federico Chiesa’s future at Liverpool after difficult debut season

Arne Slot has assured Federico Chiesa that he remains an important part of Liverpool’s plans following a challenging debut season in England.

The 27-year-old, who joined the Reds last summer from Juventus, has managed just 13 appearances across all competitions, totalling only 403 minutes on the pitch.

His first campaign was severely disrupted by injuries that sidelined him for nearly four months.

Despite ongoing speculation about Federico Chiesa’s future at Anfield, manager Slot has reaffirmed his commitment to the player ahead of the 2025/26 season.

The Dutch coach also outlined the work Chiesa needs to focus on during the offseason to return stronger for his second year with the Reds.

Chiesa’s first campaign was severely disrupted by injuries that sidelined him for nearly four months

Slot said: “Does he have a future here? Yes, definitely he has. Next season, if he comes back completely fit, which he has hardly been for the first half-season, I can give him playing time in pre-season, so he can build himself up and then go even further.

“The moment he came in, he was, by a long time, not as fit as the other players were, and that doesn’t help in the beginning.

“The other ones did so well, there was not a lot of reason for me to change, and then being in the squad becomes difficult if Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota are there as well.”

Chiesa could be in line for his first Premier League start on Monday when the newly crowned English champions return to action against Brighton away from home in their penultimate match of the season.

The Dutchman added: “He is good enough to play for us, or a club of our standards.

“In terms of the quality he has, he would deserve more playing time at this football club, or the club he is playing for, as he has the quality to play for us.”