Speaking in a club press conference prior to Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, a majority of questions aimed at Slot were of course understandably concerning the Reds’ new £12.5m Italian forward.
With the deal for Chiesa absolutely fitting the criteria that Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes outlined as being ‘opportunistic’ with deals this summer, the motivations were of course not purely down to the low fee, although it is definitely shrewd business.
More so the deal for Chiesa was a mutually beneficial deal for all parties concerned, and it was good to hear Slot speak more in depth about the qualities Chiesa displays and which of those attributes Slot is most keen on bringing out of him further.
'An interesting signing'
Slot said about Chiesa: “He works really hard on and off the pitch, he can score goals and is aggressive off the ball and he can play so many positions, an interesting signing.”
In his very understated way, Slot was clearly enthused by the opportunity to bring Chiesa to Anfield, and repeated mention of work-rate is definitely something that should be noted, as current Liverpool stars are finding out that Slot is expecting the players to be hard-working at all times to meet the exacting standards he is setting.
It was also a chance to ask Slot about when fans might first see Chiesa turn out for the Reds, with Slot confirming that Chiesa will train today with the rest of the team but is unlikely to be ready or required for Sunday’s showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford, barring any last minute injury issues for other forwards.
Therefore we will have to wait until after the September international break to see Chiesa run out in a Liverpool shirt for the first time.
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