Sadio Mane looks like a shadow of his former self and it may soon be time to replace him and Federico Chiesa could be the perfect player to step in.
While he finished a superb move against Burnley to receive a nomination for Liverpool’s Goal of the Month, he was anonymous against Chelsea.
The Senegal attacker will be 30 in April and while fans would like nothing more than for him to rediscover the form he displayed pre-covid, it looks more and more unlikely with each passing game.
With injuries to Roberto Firmino and Takumi Minamino, Jurgen Klopp cannot afford to be carrying any passengers in his attack this season and so if Mane doesn’t hit the levels we all know he is capable of, he may well be replaced down the line.
Federico Chiesa would be my pick
The Italian was instrumental in Italy winning the EUROs and if reports are to be believed, Liverpool made an enormous bid to sign Chiesa in July.
This is according to Italian newspaper Repubblica, who claimed at the time that the Reds made an offer of £86million to sign Chiesa which was rejected.
He has everything to be a successful Mane replacement and to succeed at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp.
Blessed with pace and the ability to burst past defenders, he’d be able to fill the role that Mane has been superb in for so many years now.
Not only is he a superb ball carrier and dribbler, but Chiesa also has the end product to match the flashy aspects of his game.
In all competitions for Juve last season, the 23-year-old got 15 goals and 11 assists and while it’s unclear how that would translate to the Premier League, his performances at the EUROs argue he’d have no problem playing in England.
