Liverpool reportedly have no interest in allowing Federico Chiesa to leave the club in January, despite rumours linking him with a move back to Serie A.
Injuries have scuppered any early progress the Italian would have hoped to make in his first few months with the club, with Chiesa playing just 78 minutes of football since his £12.5m move from Juventus.
Chiesa's injury record was well-documented ahead of his arrival at Anfield, as he missed a further 27 Juventus games in his final two seasons with the club, shortly after returning from an ACL tear.
The Italian international joined with an injury, and after starting just one game in the EFL Cup win over West Ham United, Chiesa has now missed the last seven games, and will not feature against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night.
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Liverpool keen to keep hold of Chiesa
A stuttering start to life on Merseyside has led to some reports claiming the attacker could make a swift return to his homeland.
CalcioMercato had reported that well-backed Como were considering a loan move for Chiesa, with AC Milan also in the conversation to sign the former Fiorentina and Juve man.
Como have handed out big wages to sign players such as Raphael Varane and Sergi Roberto, but Chiesa's €7.5m-per-year salary (£6.3m) could be off-putting to any club in Serie A.
Regardless of the logistics though, Football Insider claim that Liverpool have no interest in letting the 27-year-old leave in the January window, with the player still firmly in Arne Slot's plans, despite his recent injury woes.
Chiesa has been tied down on a contract which runs until the summer of 2028, and with rumours intensifying that Mohamed Salah could depart when his deal expires at the end of the season, it would be in Liverpool's best interest to keep the player in their plans.
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What can Chiesa offer Liverpool when back to full fitness?
Chiesa's talent was there for all to see when, along with Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, he played a pivotal role in Italy's Euro 2020 success.
After joining Juventus though, the Bianconeri have suffered in the aftermath of unparalleled success during the 2010s, but when fit, Chiesa put up good numbers in terms of attacking returns.
Last season was Chiesa's finest for league goals in a Juve shirt, scoring nine in 33 games under the pragmatic management of Massimiliano Allegri, who left the club shortly before the end of the season.
New manager Thiago Motta's fresh approach saw many of the old guard replaced in Turin, not because of any issues regarding their quality, but due to the want of implementing his own blueprint on the squad.
Andrew Delaney
