Liverpool knew all summer there was a deal to be done with Juventus for Federico Chiesa.
New sporting director Richard Hughes also believed that the closer it got to the transfer deadline, the stronger the Premier League club’s hand would be in negotiations.
With Chiesa not part of head coach Thiago Motta’s plans and Juventus increasingly keen to avoid losing him for nothing in 2025, Liverpool held all the aces as they belatedly made their move. A fee of £10million ($13.1m) was agreed, rising to £12.5m if the Italy international helps them win the Premier League and the Champions League.
The 26-year-old forward had also been the subject of lucrative interest from the Saudi Pro League but made it clear his heart was set on Anfield.
Chiesa told Liverpool’s in-house media he had called his dad Enrico, the former Italy striker who scored at Anfield against the Czech Republic during Euro ’96, for advice about the club’s pursuit. Enrico could not have been more emphatic. “Go!” he told his son. “It’s the best choice for your career.”
He was joined on the private flight from Turin to Liverpool on Wednesday by his wife, Lucia Bramani, and as the plane flew over Anfield on its approach to John Lennon Airport, he asked her to play the club’s anthem, You’ll Never…
