Two Serie A clubs have reportedly moved to the front of the queue to secure a summer deal for Liverpool attacker Federico Chiesa.
When Liverpool committed to a deal worth up to £12.5m to sign Chiesa from Juventus last summer, it was viewed as a coup for the Merseyside giants.
Instead, the Italy international has failed to live up to the reputation forged in Serie A, injury and form keeping him on the periphery of Arne Slot's plans.
Just 403 minutes of football have been accumulated across 13 matches in all competitions, Chiesa contributing a respectable two goals and two assists.
Despite being on a contract at Anfield that runs until 2028, speculation is naturally persisting regarding a return to his homeland.
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Which clubs are pushing for Chiesa?
According to Caught Offside, Napoli and AC Milan are viewed as the 'most prominent' in the race to tempt Chiesa back to Serie A.
The report suggests that Liverpool officials will be prepared to give the green light if a suitable permanent offer is proposed.
Despite there being clear short-term value in facilitating a loan exit including a fee and wages being covered, it appears that option will not be considered by the recently-crowned Premier League champions.
Furthermore, Liverpool have allegedly set a minimum asking price of €15m (£12.8m), essentially what they paid for Chiesa less than a year ago.
Chiesa and his representatives have previously indicated that they are committed to remaining at Liverpool for another season, it yet to be seen whether that will stay the case when he has only made five substitute outings in the Premier League.
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Is an exit inevitable?
Many things point to Chiesa returning to Serie A making sense when Napoli, AC Milan or another high-profile club would welcome him with open arms.
That said, Chiesa can still be a valuable asset at Liverpool if provided with the chance. His fitness has held him back, yet his progress has hardly been helped by Slot's strong stance with regards to limiting his opportunities.
Despite his goal in the EFL Cup final back on March 16, Chiesa has remarkably only been provided with two substitute outings totalling 16 minutes since that Wembley showpiece.
With Liverpool seemingly open to offers for the likes of Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez in the summer, it would make sense for Chiesa to be handed at least one chance in the first XI with Liverpool having three dead-rubbers remaining in the Premier League this season.
Darren Plant
