Man Utd move hijacked, as Liverpool launch ‘offer’ for marquee signing of Italy ace

Manchester United may struggle to sign Federico Chiesa this summer as Liverpool have reportedly stormed into the mix with an opening gambit for the Juventus star.

Chiesa made a name for himself at Fiorentina but took the next step in his career in October 2020 by joining Juve. The Bianconeri paid Fiorentina €10million to sign the electric winger on a two-year loan and subsequently made the deal permanent for €40m (£34m) in summer 2022.

Chiesa, who mainly plays on the left but can also operate as a right winger or second striker, then enjoyed a brilliant summer in 2021 as he scored twice to help Italy win the European Championship.

The 26-year-old was out of action for a long period after tearing his ACL in January 2022, though he is now back to full fitness and has managed seven goals in 24 Serie A games this season.

It is thought that under the right management Chiesa could take his game to the next level and establish himself as a top-class star. That could happen in the Premier League, too.

On February 28, Man Utd were tipped to sign Chiesa while also replacing manager Erik ten Hag with the attacker’s compatriot, Antonio Conte.

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However, Chiesa has regularly been mentioned as a potential successor to Mo Salah in Liverpool’s forward line. And it has been claimed that Juve are willing to talk to the Reds about a potential summer deal.

Italian journalist Fabio Santini has now provided an update on Juve’s situation, with the Italian giants needing to sell a big name this summer to improve their finances.

Liverpool push to sign Man Utd-linked ace first

Appearing on TV Play, Santini states that Juve are now more inclined to sell Chiesa than centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic.

The reporter adds that there are already ‘offers’ for the wide man, ‘particularly from Liverpool‘. It is suggested that Liverpool will have to pay between €40-45m (£34-38.5m) to forge an agreement with Juve and sign Chiesa.

Not only would Chiesa’s sale help to balance Juve’s books, it would also allow them to bid for long-term target Mateo Retegui, who currently represents Genoa.

While Chiesa will no longer be able to play under Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, he could still work with a top coach in Xabi Alonso.

Liverpool are rivalling Bayern Munich for Alonso, who has guided Bayer Leverkusen to an astonishing unbeaten season thus far.

If given the choice between Salah and Chiesa, Liverpool fans would always go for the former. However, Liverpool might be tempted to sell their Egyptian star this summer as his move to Saudi Arabia – which would be worth more than £100m – would give the new manager funds to overhaul his squad.

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