Andoni Iraola makes two brutal calls as Liverpool star told to find new club in January
Andoni Iraola is only three months into his tenure at Liverpool, but the Spaniard isn't afraid of making big decisions.
Just before the September international break started, it emerged that Liverpool had placed midfielder Wataru Endo on the chopping block ahead of January.
Endo was omitted from Iraola's Champions League squad and hasn't played a single minute of action this term. Federico Chiesa, meanwhile, finds himself in a similar situation.
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Federico Chiesa told to 'pack his bags' in January
Chiesa has experienced a torrid time at Anfield, marred by injury troubles and poor form since joining from Juventus in the summer of 2024.
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Captured by Arne Slot as a talented option on the wing, Chiesa was supposed to play an integral role on Merseyside, but instead, the 28-year-old has scored just five goals in 50 appearances for the club.
The Italian has endured disappointment since moving to the Premier League, and just when he had a chance to showcase his talents under a new manager, he suffered a lower back injury during pre-season.
Chiesa has since returned to training this week, but it appears Iraola has already made up his mind on the forward, as according to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, he has been told to 'pack his bags' if he cannot break into Iraola's first-team plans.
The former Juventus man has already been left out of Liverpool's Champions League squad alongside Endo, and the same happened last season before he was added to the list after defender Giovanni Leoni suffered a long-term knee injury in September.
Chiesa's current contract expires in June 2028, but with dreams of returning to the Italy squad under Roberto Mancini, it appears the Reds could try and recoup as much of the £12.5million that they paid for him just over two years ago.
Lewis Koumas is ahead of Federico Chiesa in the pecking order
A chance for the confidence-shot Italian to resurrect his Anfield career appears increasingly slim, and it is made even harder by the strong competition he faces in wide areas.
Bradley Barcola joined in a £123million transfer from Paris Saint-Germain, and he's already made an instant impression on the left flank, while Rio Ngumoha, Cody Gakpo and Victor Munoz are all ahead of him in the pecking order.
In fact, youngster Lewis Koumas is higher in Iraola's reckoning than Chiesa - according to Liverpool journalist Jack Lusby - and this has been reinforced by his game time so far.
Koumas has come off the bench in three of their Premier League matches and impressed when starting as a striker in their 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
The 21-year-old was arguably a surprise inclusion in Iraola's plans after challenging loan spells at Birmingham City and Hull City, but the Welsh international is vindicating the decision to keep him instead of loaning him out.
It wouldn't be a surprise if Koumas was named in Liverpool's squad for their showdown with Manchester City immediately after the break. Chiesa, on the other hand, is expected to be snubbed as his career at Anfield looks set to come to a sad end.
Topics: Premier League, Federico Chiesa, Transfer News
Thomas Griffin