The official Federico Chiesa Liverpool debut is one that many Reds fans are eagerly anticipating, after the Italy international winger officially signed from Juventus for a reported £12.5m.
Indeed, this could prove to be a bargain for a 26-year-old who has won the European Championship with his country and also a number of trophies with the Old Lady, scoring plenty of goals and also racking up several assists. An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury from a couple of years ago has halted Chiesa's development somewhat, but he is still a quality individual who should bring plenty to the Liverpool team.
So when can Reds supporters officially see him play for the first time? Well, a highly-anticipated fixture in the Premier League awaits this weekend, and Chiesa could well be thrown straight into the mix by his new manager Arne Slot…
Federico Chiesa Liverpool debut: First start against familiar foe?
Chiesa's first appearance in a Liverpool shirt could end up being one of the biggest in his entire career as the Reds travel to Old Trafford to face bitter rivals Manchester United on Sunday afternoon at 4pm UK time. Liverpool have maximum points after the first two games of the new 2024/25 season, beating newly-promoted Ipswich Town 2-0 away from home before beating Brentford by the same scoreline at Anfield last weekend.
On the other hand, after beating Fulham 1-0 at home in the Premier League's opening clash, United lost out 2-1 away to Brighton and Hove Albion last time out via a very late goal from Brazilian forward Joao Pedro in stoppage time. The Red Devils will be looking to bounce back immediately against Liverpool, in what promises to be yet another entertaining clash between the two sides.
Chiesa is officially Liverpool's second signing of the summer transfer window so far, after Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili signed from Valencia earlier this week, but has been loaned back to the La Liga club for this season. Reds supporters will be eager to see a new face in the team, and they could well get their wish should Chiesa be involved against United.
Indeed, Slot has started with a front three of Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz in Liverpool's opening two games, and also has the likes of Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez that he can call upon. Given that the trio have combined well so far, and that Chiesa is a brand new signing, it is likely that the Italian will start on the substitutes bench.
However, that is not to say that he cannot make an impact, as Slot could utilise his pace and skill against United's tired legs in the second half. Indeed, Chiesa was a constant threat at Juventus and previous club Fiorentina, scoring a total of 66 goals and making a further 49 assists in 284 appearances combined over all competitions, and he also boasts seven goals and eight assists in 51 senior caps for Italy.
