The Liverpool fans in the Transfer Tavern were disappointed by their club’s failure to sign Nabil Fekir recently, but they are eager to put their disappointment behind them and focus on alternative targets.
It appeared that Fekir was all set to move to Anfield last Friday but a potential deal swiftly collapsed and left Jurgen Klopp without his ideal replacement for Philippe Countinho. Having already added Naby Keita and Fabinho to his ranks this summer, it seems that Klopp is prioritising the signing of an attacking midfield player to support the likes of Salah, Firminho and Mane next season.
According to a recent report from Gazetta Dello Sport (via talkSPORT), Liverpool have not wasted any time in identifying a new attacking target to pursue this summer following their Fekir disappointment. The report claims that the Reds are interested in signing Fiorentina’s sought-after winger Federico Chiesa, although they will face competition from Manchester United and Manchester City in a deal which could set them back £62 million.
After watching Man City dominate the Premier League last season, Klopp will be looking for ways to narrow the gulf in class this summer, and adding quality talent to his attacking options would be a wise place to start. With little by way of back-up available in wide positions, the signing of Chiesa would solve a problem for Liverpool ahead of the new season and provide Klopp with a player who has the potential to become a future superstar in the Premier League.
After impressing at youth level with Fiorentina, Chiesa (valued at £40.5 million by Transfermarkt) was promoted to the senior squad at just 18-years-of-age in 2016, and he held his own in Serie A on his debut season in which he made 17 starts, scoring 3 and assisting 3 in the process. The 20-year-old’s positive progress continued into the most recent season as he demonstrated flair and creativity in abundance to provide a further 9 assists and score 6 goals in all-competitions, establishing himself as one of the most highly-rated youngsters on the continent in the process.
Considering both the progress he has made thus far and the fact he is only 20-years-old, it’s no surprise that Chiesa is commanding such a huge transfer fee, but if he continues to improve at an exponential rate there’s no doubt he would justify the fee in the years to come. With that in mind, Klopp should make him a primary target in the coming weeks as the scale of his impact on Merseyside could make all the difference in Liverpool’s bid to catch Man City at the summit of English football next season.
Liverpool fans – thoughts? Let us know below!
