Federico Chiesa's Liverpool Future in Doubt as Iraola Takes Charge

Federico Chiesa will sit down with Andoni Iraola in the coming days, but the conversation already feels like a last roll of the dice rather than the start of a new chapter at Anfield.

The Italian winger, now 28 and entering what should be the sharpest years of his career, is expected to discuss his role under Liverpool’s new head coach before deciding his future. The early signs, though, point in one direction: out.

Peak Years, Minimal Minutes

Chiesa’s Liverpool spell has never truly caught fire. His second season brought more involvement, yet not the kind that shapes a career or a team. One Premier League start across the entire campaign tells its own story, a brutal statistic for a player of his pedigree and ambition.

For a wide forward who thrives on rhythm, repetition, and responsibility, being reduced to a peripheral figure has turned frustration into inevitability. The change in the dugout has offered a sliver of hope to those who struggled under the previous regime, but there is no guarantee Iraola’s arrival will suddenly elevate Chiesa’s status.

Chiesa has already made it clear that clarity is non-negotiable. Before any decision, he wants to hear directly from the man now in charge.

“I Need to Play”

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano outlined the situation after Chiesa spoke in Italy about his future and his need for regular football.

Romano reported that the expectation inside the market is for Chiesa to leave Liverpool this summer. The winger’s own words have only fuelled that feeling: he wants consistency, not cameos.

According to Romano, Chiesa also stressed a desire to travel with the squad on their pre-season tour of the United States, to meet Iraola face to face and “understand my situation.” The message running through it all is simple: he wants to play, and he needs to play.

That is not the language of a squad player settling in for another year on the fringes.

US Tour as Final Audition

Liverpool’s pre-season tour now doubles as a crucial audition. It offers Iraola a close look at a player who, on paper, fits the profile of an aggressive, direct winger suited to high-tempo football. It also gives Chiesa a chance to prove he can still be part of the club’s future rather than a footnote from a previous era.

The pressure, though, sits heavily on the side of an exit. Romano added that those around Chiesa still believe a move away is the most likely outcome, especially after he came close to leaving in January. The sense is that the clock did not reset with Iraola’s appointment; it merely started ticking louder.

If the new manager cannot offer genuine assurances over minutes and importance, not just polite words, Chiesa will be forced to look elsewhere for the platform his career demands.

For Liverpool, that would mean drawing a line under a signing that never quite aligned with opportunity. For Chiesa, it could be the moment he stops waiting for a chance at Anfield and finally goes in search of one.