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Who is Federico Chiesa? The Juventus star wanted by Premier League big guns
It is daunting to be a young footballer following in a famous father's footsteps.
Federico Chiesa, the son of former Italy international Enrico Chiesa, is one of the rare examples of a player who brushed off the pressure and made it to the top for both club and country.
A product of Fiorentina’s academy, Chiesa Jr joined the club as a 10-year-old in 2007. He rose through the youth ranks and made his competitive debut in the 2016-17 season aged just 18.
Technically gifted, quick and skillful, it quickly became apparent that I Viola had yet another exciting attacking player on their hands. Chiesa’s versatility was an added bonus, as he could play everywhere across the frontline.
Federico Chiesa 7️⃣ pic.twitter.com/xgagS0vIyy
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) January 20, 2023
His impressive performances over the next 3 seasons saw him being regarded as one of the best talents in his native Italy. Soon Juventus came calling, and Chiesa signed on an initial two-year loan deal which was later made permanent.
Chiesa had a stellar debut season for I Bianconeri under manager Andrea Pirlo, where he pitched in with a combined 16 goals and assists in 28 starts. He followed that up with phenomenal performances at Euro 2020, where he scored twice and played every game en route to Italy’s triumph.
That campaign turned him into one of the most sought after players in the world. Just as it looked like he was taking a step up to the elite, the Italian suffered a season-ending ACL rupture at the start of the 2021/22 season.
Since then, Chiesa has been slow to get back to his best as last season was yet again disrupted by recurring injuries.
ACL injuries can be especially tricky to overcome for someone like Chiesa, who relies greatly on his speed and agility. Thankfully, there were promising signs last season where he showed flashes of his old self.
A few seasons ago, he was non-transferrable. But those injury issues, coupled with the precarious state of Juve’s finances, means the Turin giants might now be willing to listen to offers for the 25-year-old.
Federico Chiesa Transfer Value - how much is he worth?
Chiesa’s Expected Transfer Value (xTV) is currently €24.7 million. His recent injury troubles have caused a decline from a peak of €57 million at the end of 2021.
This could be a golden opportunity to get a top-quality player at a bargain price, and there are a number of clubs reportedly interested. Notably Man Utd and Newcastle, while Liverpool have been confirmed admirers in the past.
There would be some risk associated with signing a player who has played less than 2000 minutes over the past two seasons, but Chiesa’s enormous talent is worth the gamble.
Federico Chiesa stats, strengths and weaknesses
Chiesa is a versatile wide forward capable of playing on both wings. His very direct approach and special on-on-one ability can cause problems for any defence.
Despite a stop-start 2022/23 season, the Juventus man’s numbers are remarkable.
His 4.86 progressive carries, 2.54 successful take-ons, 5.18 touches in the penalty area, 2.11 key passes and 0.53 assists per90 are all ranked in the late 90th percentile compared to other wingers in Serie A.
This makes him an all-action player who can drive at the opposition, take players on, get into the box and create a high volume of goalscoring opportunities for his team. He also has great shooting ability and chips in with goals too.
Chiesa caps off this offensive output with a great determination to press and win the ball back. His 1.06 tackles in the attacking third and 1.27 passes blocked P90 make him a truly standout talent.
Massimiliano Allegri’s team ranked 10th in the Serie A last season for the number of passes they allowed the opposition before making a defensive action. This typifies the manager's more passive approach towards football that some might suggest is getting outdated.
Chiesa has also been played out of position quite often by Allegri, in a system which does not favour wingers.
Enjoy the @federicochiesa golazo ⬇️⬇️⬇️#CoppaItaliaFrecciarossa pic.twitter.com/GtMPJcjqEG
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) January 20, 2023
A player like Chiesa needs to be offered the creative freedom to flourish on the pitch, and it would be exciting to watch him play under a progressive and offensive-minded coach.
Top Italian players choose to spend their careers playing in the Serie A, but a fresh start in a different league might just be what is needed to get Chiesa’s career back on track.
Maybe he’ll get it this summer...