A former Liverpool favourite who knows what it’s like to come up against Federico Chiesa has given a firm seal of approval to the recent Reds signing.
When he was at Lazio, Lucas Leiva lined up in opposition to the Italy international seven times, and he was raving about the 26-year-old on the latest episode of LFCTV’s Extra Time.
The ex-LFC midfielder said of our new number 14: “I was very happy when I saw the signing. I played against him when he was at Fiorentina, and afterwards Juventus. [He’s] a fantastic player.
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“Of course, he is coming back from a big injury – I’m sure Liverpool are looking after him and seeing the best time to play him. He can play on the left wing, on the right wing. He has pace to be an important player, and he comes into a team that is very well structured.
“I think he is a player that adds a lot for the squad and I’m really looking forward to it.”
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Lucas has referenced one of the biggest plus points to Chiesa’s arrival at Liverpool, namely his magnificent versatility. The Italian is hugely adept at playing anywhere across the forward line, having ample experience of playing on either flank and also centrally throughout his carer.
That adaptability could make him invaluable to Arne Slot as the season progresses, with the 26-year-old easily able to fill in if any of our other attackers are unavailable. His ability to play on the right is particularly welcome, as it should enable Mo Salah’s game-time to be managed more economically.
Of course, as our former midfielder mentioned, the ex-Juventus man has an unfortunate history when it comes to injuries, but aside from the occasional niggle, he appears to have overcome the cruciate ligament tear which sidelined him for the majority of 2022.
Lucas’ experience of playing against Chiesa on several occasions makes him well qualified to provide Liverpool fans with a teaser as to what they can expect from our newest first-team acquisition.
The forward could be in contention to make the matchday squad for the Nottingham Forest game on Saturday, so hopefully an eagerly anticipated Reds debut won’t be too far away!
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