Arne Slot has addressed Federico Chiesa’s future after the Italian winger found the net in Liverpool’s thrilling 4-2 win over Bournemouth in the Premier League opener.
The match, played at Anfield on Friday, was overshadowed by the racist abuse directed at Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, who still managed to score twice to level the game before Chiesa struck late on. Coming off the bench to replace Florian Wirtz, the 26-year-old restored Liverpool’s lead just two minutes from time, with supporters also noting the significance of his goal celebration.
Chiesa’s appearance comes amid ongoing uncertainty about his future at Anfield. Despite featuring in the Reds’ first league game of the season, he continues to be strongly linked with a move away. AC Milan are reportedly preparing a late approach before the transfer window closes, with Football Italia claiming that the Rossoneri have opened talks with the player’s representatives.
A move would see Chiesa reunite with former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri, who is now pushing to bring him back to Serie A as part of Milan’s summer plans.
Max Allegri is keen to reunite with Federico Chiesa at AC Milan this summer, but Liverpool boss Arne Slot has played down speculation about the winger’s future following his decisive goal against Bournemouth.
Speaking after the 4-2 win at Anfield, Slot praised Chiesa’s impact and insisted he remains an important part of his plans.
“As long as he is here, he is very much a Liverpool player, and I have no reason to think that will change,” Slot said. “Last season was tough for him with fitness issues, and missing the Asian tour didn’t help. We also lost Conor Bradley, while Joe Gomez wasn’t ready for 90 minutes, so my substitutions were forced. At 2-2, we needed a striker, and he stepped up — that’s always a good sign for your future at the club.”
Slot also reflected on Chiesa’s relationship with supporters:
“The fans sang for him so often last season, and it was great to see him give them something back tonight. Why they’ve taken to him so much is hard for me to explain — maybe because he was a big name moving from Italy to England, which doesn’t happen often, or maybe they just love the song. But he deserves credit, and I’m glad he’s shown what he can bring.”
Chiesa, who has been linked with a late move to Milan before the transfer window closes, underlined his value with his late strike. Despite the ongoing transfer chatter, Slot’s words suggest the Italian still has a place in Liverpool’s future plans.
