Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa is rumoured to be unhappy on Merseyside and could seek an exit back to Italy due to being homesick.
The Reds have been prolific in front of goal this season having scored 45 goals in the Premier League this term, with Mohamed Salah scoring 17 times and providing 13 assists in 18 league games.
His remarkable season has fired Arne Slot's side to the top of the table, but the Egyptian's record-breaking campaign has perhaps overshadowed the good form of the likes of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo.
The pair have found the back of the net 12 and 11 times respectively in all competitions, and they seem to have finally settled at Anfield after struggling for consistency under previous boss Jurgen Klopp.
However, summer signing Chiesa has only played 19 minutes in the Premier League and AnfieldWatch now report that the attacker is homesick, struggling with the physicality of English football and dislikes the weather, but more alarmingly say that he has not displayed the right mentality or application behind the scenes.
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Is Federico Chiesa another Arthur Melo?
Liverpool signed midfielder Arthur Melo on loan from Italian side Juventus in September 2022, with the Reds looking to reinforce an ageing engine room.
Arthur had been made to train alone by his parent club Juventus prior to his move to Anfield, and his poor physical condition limited his impact given he played for just 13 minutes in the entirety of the 2022-23 season.
Though Chiesa has already surpassed Arthur's minute total, there is concern that the 27-year-old will not be able to contribute significantly to Liverpool's campaign, and this could place extra burden on Salah to keep producing in front of goal without rest.
Moves back to Italian clubs such as AC Milan, Roma and Napoli in January have been mooted, though perhaps a loan deal would be best for all involved as it would allow Slot to utilise him at his full potential next term.
It should also be noted that Chiesa is not the first Liverpool player to have taken time to acclimatise to new surroundings, with defensive midfielder Fabinho making just one start in his side's first nine league games of 2018-19.
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Do Liverpool have problems in attack?
Though Slot's team have not been perfect this season, they have only failed to win four fixtures in all competitions and have lost just once in 2024-25.
However, Salah picked up a hamstring injury in the second half of last season, and it remains to be seen if the club would be able to cope without arguably the world's best player.
While Gakpo and Diaz deserve plenty of praise for their performances, the latter is playing in a relatively unfamiliar central position in attack, and the former has not yet proven he can consistently produce from the left of a front three.
Despite Diogo Jota's ruthlessness in the box being unquestionable, the Portuguese is somewhat injury prone, while Darwin Nunez is seemingly out of favour with Slot.
Liverpool look unstoppable at the moment, but they would certainly benefit in the final stages of the season should Chiesa's fitness and attitude improve.
Lewis Nolan
