Liverpool's Attack Overhaul Leaves Chiesa at Risk as Inter Eyes Move
Liverpool’s overhaul of their attack is only just getting started – and Federico Chiesa looks increasingly like collateral damage.
The club have already moved decisively, landing Victor Munoz for £34 million after Richard Hughes activated the Spain World Cup winner’s release clause at Osasuna. Munoz is the first piece of a much bigger reshape. He won’t be the last.
The plan is clear: pack the squad with one-v-one specialists out wide. That was the brief for this window even before Mohamed Salah walked away on a free to Trabzonspor. Once Salah left, the need turned urgent.
Now Liverpool are pushing hard on multiple fronts.
Barcola, Mbaye, Minteh: the winger carousel
Bradley Barcola sits at the top of the wishlist. Paris Saint-Germain know it and are playing hardball, holding out for a huge £145m package before they even consider letting the France winger go.
From the same dressing room, Ibrahim Mbaye has also entered the frame. At just 18, the PSG prospect is valued at around £60m by the two-time European champions, who see no reason to discount a player in such demand.
Liverpool haven’t stopped there. Bids have gone in for Yankuba Minteh and, this time, the mood around Anfield is optimistic. Brighton’s £70m valuation is steep, but the feeling is that if Liverpool match it, the deal gets done.
Those numbers matter. So do the knock-on effects.
Gakpo and Chiesa in the firing line
All this spending has consequences for the players already in the building.
Cody Gakpo has been linked with a big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur, a transfer that could bring around £72m back into Liverpool’s coffers and ease the financial strain of the winger spree.
Then there is Chiesa.
Signed in 2024 and billed as a marquee arrival for Arne Slot, the Italy international never truly settled in the Premier League. At 28, on wages of £150,000 per week, he has become an expensive misfit in a squad being reshaped around pace, pressing and direct dribblers.
Liverpool’s stance is obvious: that salary could be put to better use elsewhere.
Inter sense an opportunity
Inter Milan have moved into position. The former Juventus winger joined Liverpool in a deal that could climb to £12.5m, but his stock has fallen sharply after two flat seasons at Anfield.
Once Roma complete their move for Luis Henrique – expected to be a loan with an obligation to buy – Cristian Chivu is ready to strike for a replacement. Inter see Chiesa as that man.
“It's no secret that Federico Chiesa has long been in Inter's sights: the Liverpool striker fits the profile of the player the Nerazzurri are looking for,” a report in Sportal states.
The issue for Liverpool is brutal in its simplicity: Chiesa’s value has collapsed.
From £20m dream to €10m reality
Earlier in the window, Liverpool were understood to be seeking somewhere in the region of £20m for the Euro 2020 winner. Inter are nowhere near that figure.
The Italian champions are only prepared to pay around €10m (£8.5m), according to reports – less than the fee Liverpool committed when they brought him in.
“Chiesa's market value currently stands at less than €10 million: a tempting opportunity that Marotta could seize,” Sportal adds.
The same report underlines how crucial Roma’s pursuit of Luis Henrique is to the chain: “The deal with Roma for Luis Henrique is therefore the key to the entire scenario: the Giallorossi are negotiating with Inter on a loan with an obligation to buy, for a total fee of around €30 million including fixed fee and bonuses.”
If that move goes through as expected, Inter will have both the need and the funds to move decisively for Chiesa.
A costly misstep for Hughes
For Liverpool, the numbers are damning. Two underwhelming seasons, £150k a week in wages, and now a likely sale at a loss. For Richard Hughes, it is being viewed as a transfer disaster he can’t easily explain away.
Chiesa was the sole addition to Slot’s squad when the Dutchman took over in 2024, a statement signing that was supposed to bridge eras. Instead, it has become a cautionary tale.
Liverpool are racing to build a new frontline around fresh, dynamic wingers. The question now is whether they can escape this one misjudged deal without it dragging on their wider rebuild.
