Liverpool new boy Federico Chiesa could be sent back to Serie A on loan during the January transfer window, according to a report.
The Reds appeared to have pulled off one of the bargains of the summer when they captured the Euro 2020 winner for just £10m after he was frozen out of the Juventus squad under Thiago Motta.
Chiesa's value had plummeted due to a series of injuries over the past couple of years, and the Italy international's fitness troubles have continued in England, where he has been restricted to just 78 minutes in a Liverpool shirt so far.
Chiesa's Reds debut was delayed due to the winger's lack of pre-season preparation, and he eventually earned his baptism under Arne Slot in their 3-1 Champions League win over AC Milan on September 17.
The 27-year-old made his Premier League debut off the bench against Bournemouth a few days later, before earning his first Liverpool start and providing an assist in the 5-1 EFL Cup thrashing of West Ham United.
Three Serie A clubs to battle for Chiesa?
© Imago
However, Chiesa has been on the treatment table with an unspecified problem since that cup triumph, with Slot recently explaining that the winger needed more time to adapt to Premier League football after his disrupted pre-season.
There is a slim chance that Chiesa could be a part of the matchday squad for Sunday's Premier League blockbuster against Arsenal, but according to Calciomercato, the Reds could offload him as early as January.
A return to Italy has been mooted for the ex-Juventus and Fiorentina man, and Liverpool are 'evaluating' whether to send him back to his homeland in the hope that he will be able to string together a consistent run of matches.
Inter Milan, AC Milan and Roma are all rumoured to be interested in the Italy international, although Liverpool would be required to cover a portion of his €7.5m (£6.3m) yearly wages.
While Liverpool might consider loaning out the Euro 2020 winner, there is no suggestion that they could let him leave on a permanent basis, and he remains contracted to the Reds until 2028.
Should Liverpool consider loaning out Chiesa?
© Imago
Managers get what they pay for a lot of the time in the transfer market, and even though a £10m fee for a Euro 2020 winner seemed too good to be true at the time, Chiesa's fitness problems were well-documented before he arrived at Anfield.
Going from Serie A - a slower-paced league with plenty of veterans - to the incredibly demanding Premier League was never going to be a smooth transition for the injury-plagued Chiesa, tipped by some as the heir to the Mohamed Salah throne.
Yes, the attacker may perform better in his homeland and get more regular starts if he was to head back there in January, but his fitness woes should have subsided by then, and he would have had ample time to get used to the Premier League climate.
Liverpool do not have to worry about Salah leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations in January, but Chiesa would be his most natural replacement if the Egyptian picks up an injury in the second half of the season.
The Italian's start to life on Merseyside has been far from ideal, but he could still prove an incredibly useful option as the campaign hits its business end, so Liverpool should turn their noses up to any loan offers in January.
Ben Knapton
