Heading into EURO 2024, Federico Chiesa was one of the hottest tickets looking for a new club. He and Juventus were ultimately unable to come to an agreement for a contract renewal, and after four years in Torino, the Bianconeri were left with little decision. If they were unable to sell him this summer, then the player who had cost some €50m in 2020 would walk for free. In an era where the Old Lady needs to pinch every penny, this was unthinkable for sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli and co. After facing criticism in the tournament’s group stage, Chiesa even found himself benched by manager Luciano Spalletti.
But when playing without him, the Azzurri lacked direction and tenacity. Two rare skills that are a commodity in football and ones which caught the eye of Liverpool. Finishing third in the league and the final push for Jürgen Klopp at the helm, there was a need at Anfield for fresh faces and energy. Roberto Firmino is long gone, along with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Mohamed Salah’s contract is set to expire.
Then, in the last few days of the summer transfer window, the Reds announced Chiesa, who became the seventh Italian to play for the club. What makes the move even more logical for the winger is that he grew up in an English-speaking school, sounding like his borderline mother tongue.
Chiesa’s Azzurri teammate, Riccardo Calafiori, was also causing quite the stir. There were rumours that he would be joining the winger’s then-club, with Motta bringing him over as the offensive disruptor centre-back that was one of the manager’s marquee innovations. It was a logical move, but perhaps a bit too steep of an expense for a defender who can be seen as attack-minded first. He was deemed a luxury too rich.
After Juventus stalled, Arsenal picked up the phone and moved quickly to complete the move for the defender – which was ironically a similar price to Chiesa’s move from Fiorentina. Although the Gunners were not struggling defensively, boss Mikel Arteta adored his unorthodox adaptation to the centre-back role and personally called the defender himself to persuade him.
The two Azzurri stars now embark on new chapters in England at different points in their career. They’ll be battling one another for the English Premier League title, with both players in similar roles to give their new teams that extra ‘oomph’ in getting over the line. Calafiori will not be the starter for Arteta, barring any significant injuries in his side. Gabriel and Saliba have brilliant chemistry between them and win 20% more when both start, according to Opta. He failed to get any time in the season’s first league match against Wolverhampton but got just over ten minutes in last week’s win over Aston Villa.
Therefore, it begs the question – what was Calafiori purchased for? One idea is that he is a defensive x factor, just like he was for Spalletti. One can recall his surging run from inside his half in the dying minutes of the match against Croatia to play Mattia Zaccagni for his 90+8’ goal that drew the Azzurri level to advance out of the group. There’s also the idea of his past as a genuine left-back.
Even when he’s deployed as a left centre-back on paper, heat maps prove that Calafiori drifts towards the line – and over it – of the quarter of pitch closest to the touchline. When Arsenal are in need of a goal, count on the Italian international to be Arteta’s first option off the bench in pushing his team forward from the back.
Chiesa’s projected impact mirrors that of his countryman. It’s too optimistic to think he will replace Luis Díaz or Diogo Jota, but it gives Arne Slot that special someone to turn to when there’s a deadlock to break. When Liverpool need to defend, he can press and fit the midfield four, pushing the ball away from a safe distance. Attacking in a 3-5-2 or a 4-3-3, and most likely the latter for Slot, Chiesa will rely on his head-on pace and quick thinking to score important goals.
The Azzurri send two of their finest out on permanent international duty. It won’t make Italian football fans happy to see them leave local club duty, but these new chapters prove that Italian football isn’t dead – it’s just evolving. Chiesa and Calafiori will be match deciders this season, one way or another.
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