Juventus let Federico Chiesa go to Liverpool for so cheap a fee

Juventus cut ties with Italy winger Federico Chiesa, accepting a €13 million (£10.95 million) fee that left many fans stunned, while Liverpool celebrated the bargain as a potential coup, only to see the former Juventus star relegated to the bench and excluded from the 2026‑27 Champions League squad.

Juventus' motives for a low fee

Italian football expert Stefano Buonfino explained that Chiesa struggled to regain form after a serious knee injury in January 2022. He added that the winger was often deployed as a support striker, a position that does not suit his natural wing play. The combination of lingering fitness doubts and a role mismatch meant Juventus no longer saw him as a key player. Moreover, his high salary clashed with the club’s new wage structure.

With only one year left on his contract, Juventus were forced to consider a sale rather than risk losing him on a free transfer. The €13 million (£10.95 million) fee was therefore far below the amount a player of his calibre would normally command. The club’s decision reflected a desire to off‑load the wage bill while recouping some value.

Liverpool's bargain that never paid off

Liverpool announced the signing in the summer of 2024, hailing the €13 million fee as a coup after the Reds had not spent on a forward since Arne Slot’s appointment. The club expected Chiesa’s eleven goals and two assists from the previous campaign to boost their attack. However, the Italy international has made just 50 appearances in two full seasons and was omitted from Andoni Iraola’s 2026‑27 Champions League squad.

Fans voiced frustration after the transfer window closed on Tuesday, with one journalist on X calling the price a ‘joke’ compared with the fees paid for El Hadji Diouf in 2002 and Emile Heskey in 2000. Chiesa has spent most of his debut season on the bench and has not replicated his earlier form. The situation illustrates how a reduced fee does not guarantee playing time.

Alfie Cairns Culshaw, a PM GMT+1 journalist for GIVEMESPORT, wrote the piece. He joined the outlet in May 2024, is an Arsenal season‑ticket holder and previously worked for SportBible covering Liverpool and Manchester United. Culshaw also produces a YouTube channel, runs a football Blog and contributes to Sport and the football Bible of analysis. For us the story, logged here on GiveMeSport, explains why the player was sold and gives insight into the Premier League transfer market.

The contrast between Juventus’ financial pragmatism and Liverpool’s unfulfilled expectations shows that a low transfer fee can mask deeper issues of fitness, position and contract dynamics.