Why Federico Chiesa rejected Serie A & Turkey transfers to stay at Liverpool despite Champions League snub - revealed

The winger made the massive decision to stay at Anfield despite being left out of the European squad because he still wants to compete with top players, rather than risking a move home to Italy. He also snubbed moves to Turkish clubs, according to Gazetta dello Sport. Chiesa also feared the embarrassment of failure in Serie A and the potential impact on his World Cup chances.

Chiesa was left out of the Reds' Champions League squad, with Rio Ngumoha - 10 years his junior - picked instead. The news was a bombshell for the 27-year-old as it came just days after he scored a vital winner against Bournemouth, earning him high praise from Reds boss Slot.

After Chiesa's crucial strike against the Cherries, Slot said: "As long as he's here, it's definitely at Liverpool and I have no reason to believe something is going to change. After the fans sung for him so many times during the game and last season as well, I think it's nice for him to give them something in return and that's definitely what he did today."

Chiesa will need patience in the coming weeks and hope that his Champions League omission will mean more game time in domestic competitions. If he doesn't feature regularly he'll have to consider a move in January, otherwise his World Cup hopes will be hanging in the balance.