Chiesa to meet Iraola this summer as Liverpool winger weighs up transfer exit

Federico Chiesa will sit down with Liverpool’s new head coach Andoni Iraola during the club’s pre-season preparations in the United States to discuss his future at Anfield, with a summer transfer a genuine possibility if the two parties cannot agree on a path to regular playing time.

Chiesa, 28, opened up on his situation in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, revealing his frustration after two largely peripheral seasons since joining from Juventus for £12 million in 2024. The Italy international failed to start a single Premier League fixture in 2026, with former head coach Arne Slot handing him only three appearances across the final seven matches of the campaign — and leaving him on the bench for four of those.

“If I don’t find consistency in the Premier League, I’ll have to look elsewhere,” Chiesa said. “I barely played in my first year at Liverpool, and in the last one, very little. I’ll go on a training camp in the US, then I’ll talk to the club and the new manager, Iraola, and we’ll see.”

Despite the limited opportunities, Chiesa still contributed three goals and three assists across 726 minutes of football last season — roughly the equivalent of eight full matches. He also acknowledged that Liverpool blocked a potential January departure, a decision he accepted at the time.

“In January, the club and Slot told me I couldn’t leave; they needed me, partly for numerical reasons,” he said. “We were in a tight spot. I understood the situation and I was left smiling. Liverpool is always talked about; last year they helped me win the Premier League.”

Chiesa has not ruled out a return to Serie A, and a move back to Italy appears the most likely outcome if he decides to leave. Juventus, his former club, have been linked with a reunion, while newly Champions League-qualified Como — managed by Cesc Fàbregas — have also emerged as a potential destination.

The planned meeting with Iraola, who replaced Slot in the Anfield dugout this summer, will be a key moment in determining whether Chiesa has a future at the club or moves on before the transfer window closes.