As Chiesa strikes again, what next for the Chelsea and Juve target?
In March, Chiesa won his first international cap for the Italian national team, at the age of 20. He has since played another six times for the Italian national team and may have featured in Russia at the World Cup if Italy had qualified for the tournament.
Chiesa joined Fiorentina in 2007, as a 10-year-old boy. He rose up through the youth and Primavera sectors at the Viola, playing his first season for the first team in 16/17. He has since played 74 games for the side in all competitions, scoring eleven goals.
A winger by trade, Chiesa is often deployed as either a right-midfielder or right-forward for Fiorentina, offering a lot of dribbling options, as well as being adept at playing the right pass and finishing the ball when called upon. Because of this, he would make a fantastic signing for a club bigger than Fiorentina and at just 20, is definitely an investment for the present and the future.
Chiesa has already signalled his intention to play at least another season with Fiorentina but perhaps next summer he will leave the club. Chelsea and Juventus have appeared as frontrunners for the winger’s signature, yet Napoli have a first option to buy when he is listed on the market by Fiorentina; this is due to the good relations between Aurelio De Laurentiis and the Fiorentina management.
A move to Chelsea has been labelled as ‘Sarri’s dream’ for Chiesa in the media, with the new Chelsea head coach apparently a big fan of the winger, stretching back to memories gathered whilst in Serie A with Napoli. Sarri was interested in bringing Chiesa to Napoli in his time there yet Fiorentina never offered to sell at a decent price.
At Chelsea, Chiesa would likely be the long-term replacement for Willian and Pedro, deployed on the right in Mauricio Sarri’s 4-3-3 formation. Alternatively, Chiesa could play on the left, with Eden Hazard moving into the middle to play as a centre-forward, although this seems unlikely given Olivier Giroud’s recent performances.
A move for Juventus would see Chiesa join an already-packed front line in Turin. The Old Lady have the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala, Federico Bernardeschi, Juan Cuadrado, Mario Mandzukic and Douglas Costa in offensive positions meaning that unless they sold, Chiesa would struggle to get minutes immediately. Mandzukic and Cuadrado have been linked with moves away from the club, as has Paulo Dybala, so it is possible that Chiesa could join the club and, similarly to at Chelsea, play in a left-wing or right-wing position.
For more news, views and features, visit our homepage.