'Federico Chiesa transfer has been a nightmare' - Ex-Liverpool great takes aim at beleaguered Italy international

Former Liverpool midfield legend Dietmar Hamann has shed light on Federico Chiesa's transfer from Juventus to Liverpool and has called it a "nightmare" as the Italy international has struggled with fitness issues, leading him to be out of action for over two months. The Reds signed the EURO 2020 winner on a bargain £11 million fee on a four-year deal in the summer, but the move hasn't gone as intended for either party.

Chiesa has been struggling to get back to his best after the ACL injury that he suffered in the 2021-22 season, which saw him remain out of action for over nine months. He has missed 86 games since that injury, 14 of those this season alone after he suffered a muscle injury late in September. Although he has recovered, it'll take some effort to make his way back into Arne Slot's plans.

"What's difficult is we play so many games, and what he needs is playing time," Slot said last week while speaking about Chiesa, who has played just 78 minutes for Liverpool this season. "The problem is if you haven't played for five or six months, it's difficult for a manager to give him his first minutes because you don't know what to expect."

"The Chiesa transfer has been a bit of a nightmare, in truth," Hamann said while speaking to BoyleSports about Premier League Odds. "Everyone thought it was a good fee, but he had a bad injury a few seasons ago and he hasn’t been able to shake it off.

"It’s a new league, new city and I know from experience that when you come to the Premier League, it takes a few weeks and months to adapt. [Juan Sebastian] Veron was touted as the best midfielder in the world at the time and he lasted one season in England.

"When you come to a new club, and Chiesa came pretty late, you’re always catching up. It’s even harder for him as he isn’t needed right now, too, given Liverpool’s attacking options."

Slot provided a promising update on Chiesa ahead of Liverpool's Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Southampton on Wednesday: "It's definitely a moment where he can get minutes," Slot told reporters on Tuesday (h/t Liverpool's official website). "The amount of minutes is a question mark. You cannot expect from him to play 90, I think, especially at his level, where the intensity is so high, because he has been out for five or six months now. But if he has a good training session he will make minutes, but it's going to be a game where not all of our starters will start, so we have to manage minutes."