Federico Chiesa cannot escape reports linking him back to Juventus, while Conor Bradley has taken an important step on his injury return after undergoing surgery.
Will Federico Chiesa join Juventus? New transfer claim
Chiesa’s lack of involvement under Arne Slot has consistently seen his name linked with a move away, with former club Juventus currently exploring the possibility of his return.
A loan is very unlikely, and the Athletic’s James Pearce reported that for Liverpool to even consider doing business, they’d need a “significant permanent offer on the table, and they would need to be able to recruit a suitable replacement.”
It hints at the possibility of the club being open to doing business, on the right terms, as ever, and now Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport claim Chiesa is willing to take a wage cut.
While certainly not the most reliable outlet, they are pushing the idea that the No. 14 is willing to reduce his €6 million salary to assist a deal between Juventus and Liverpool.
This would help the Italian side with sending the money on to the Reds, but the difference that would make would likely be marginal when it came to Liverpool’s demands, which are unknown.
It is regarded as a “significant” show of desire to rejoin Juve, too right, but in all likelihood it is hard to see any deal being struck this month!
Liverpool FC News: Conor Bradley surgery, Trey Nyoni minutes and Mo Salah at AFCON
• Conor Bradley has successfully undergone knee surgery and in a social media post vowed that “the comeback starts now.” There’s no timeframe on his recovery, but he will not be back this season
• Trey Nyoni played for the U21s in a friendly after featuring for just two minutes off the bench against Barnsley, and there was also a return for Calum Scanlon after 353 days out
• Liverpool have not had a lot of loan success so far and talks have taken place over whether Lewis Koumas will return from Birmingham City, he’s made only five league starts
• Ajax manager Fred Grim has explained James McConnell has returned to Liverpool but there are “still some administrative procedures to be completed” before his loan officially ends – he’s currently recovering from an unknown injury
• And a reminder, Mo Salah faces Sadio Mane‘s Senegal in the AFCON semi-final on Wednesday evening. Kickoff is at 5pm (GMT) and you can watch live on E4 in the UK
LFC Transfers: Where do Liverpool most need to strengthen?
Liverpool may have invested heavily in the summer, but there are gaps in the squad that need to be addressed – but where do they need to strengthen most? Sam Millne took a closer look:
“Since Giovanni Leoni was ruled out for the season with an ACL injury in September, centre-half has been a consistent worry due to the injury record of the Reds’ back-up, Gomez.
“While Bradley and Frimpong were out, he started four of five consecutive matches which led to a hamstring injury against Brighton.
“The fear is that this could happen again and Ryan Gravenberch or Andy Robertson would be forced to play in the middle of the defence, with young Wellity Lucky the only other alternative at centre-back.”
READ: Where do Liverpool most need to strengthen? January transfers assessed
Other football news: Tottenham sign Conor Gallagher, Arsene Wenger’s offside rule faces opposition
• Tottenham have announced the signing of Conor Gallagher in a £34 million deal from Atletico Madrid – he’s just a signing that screams ‘Spurs’, isn’t he?
• Tino Livramento has been ruled out for two months with a hamstring injury sustained over the weekend, he only just returned from a knee issue – we’re going tit for tat with defensive injuries!
• Arsene Wenger‘s peculiar plan to change the offside law is opposed by the FA and UEFA as it would force defenders to sit deeper – there could be a compromise but the daylight rule is crazy (The Times)
LFC History: Diogo Jota’s equaliser vs. Forest
On this day in 2025, Diogo Jota came off the bench at Nottingham Forest and scored the equaliser after merely 22 seconds – he combined with fellow substitute Kostas Tsimikas.
It epitomised the No. 20’s influence and recreated a combination we saw at the same ground, and at the same end in 2022.
On that day, Jota scored the only goal as Liverpool progressed in the FA Cup at Forest, with Tsimikas delivering a cross from the left – and he planted the seed it would happen again a year ago.
“I actually said to him, we were watching the [FA] Cup game, cup goal two or three years ago, where he passed it to me.
“We were on the touchline there, and I was just saying, ‘Yeah, let’s go now, recreate your assist. Take the corner’.”
Forever missed.