Liverpool set to sanction Federico Chiesa transfer but Arne Slot faces two huge problems

Liverpool are set to sanction the transfer of Federico Chiesa but there are two huge sticking points holding up the deal.

Chiesa joined Liverpool from Juventus for £12.5 million last summer.

But he has played a measly four games across all competitions since signing for Liverpool, including just one Premier League appearance.

Chiesa has been linked with a return to Italy, with the 27-year-old sharing a cryptic social media post amid swirling speculation.

However, it appears a move away from Anfield is on the cards, with Foot Mercato claiming Liverpool are set to agree a loan deal with Napoli.

Napoli are close to agreeing a six-month loan deal as both clubs remain locked in talks with the player's agent Fali Ramadani.

But there are two major sticking points holding up the January transfer.

Per the report, Chiesa's wages could be a problem as Napoli will likely need some support from Liverpool to cover even half of his salary during his proposed loan spell.

And Napoli want to include an option to make the move permanent - something Liverpool are reportedly reluctant to agree on.

Federico Chiesa in action for Liverpool. Image: Getty

The Italian winger has struggled for minutes under Arne Slot, with his last outing coming in his side's 2-1 Carabao Cup victory over Southampton last month.

He was introduced as a second-half substitute as Slot went onto explain how it can be 'difficult' for a player like Chiesa to return to full sharpness midway through a season.

"I already said before that that makes it also so difficult for me because normally in a pre-season a player gets three, four or five games, especially," he said.

"And then he’s only had four or five weeks now he’s out for so long, so to get him back to his best level is not easy but it was good to see that he showed some quality already today.

“But same for him, like the youngsters, it’s not enough to play at this level. You have to compete with Mo Salah, Cody Gakpo, Lucho, Darwin [and] Diogo, but it’s good to see that he’s back and he also had a few good moments in the game.”