Liverpool should sell their star earnings more than Jota and Japo

It shouldn't Liverpool Will you give up a Champions League place as we head into the new year? It shouldn't Arnie slot He's already sweating for his seat, having watched Liverpool's quality and confidence ebb, ebb, after a loss Jurgen Klopp?

Slott couldn't care less about all that. Klopp may have announced his decision to step down in January, and it may have turned the Reds' somewhat tumultuous campaign around, but this is an incredible new iteration of the English side.

Look at Liverpool now. Eight points ahead of second place Nottingham Forest in Premier League (What about those guys, by the way?) And flawlessly UEFA Champions League Group stage After six games, Liverpool are thriving. Slot has a good chance of retaining the Carabao Cup title at Anfield too, with Tottenham Hotspur awaiting a two-legged semi-final clash next month.

Superlatives are falling like winter rain, but it is Liverpool's rivals across the continent who are feeling the difficulty of Slott's tactics, interchangeable and dynamic across the park. Naturally, the front lines steal most of the headlines – and they were great.

Liverpool's thriving attacking line

Liverpool have not always been the quickest in games this season, but the opposition's enthusiasm has waned as the front line, led by a spent team. Mohamed Salah-Get three extra points for the bag.

Salah, Liverpool's unstoppable talisman, is on his way to a season of the highest level of excellence. Includes 37 goal contributions From just 26 matches in all competitions so far.

He's a machine, though he's had a lot of help from exemplary partners Cody Steele and Luis DiazBoth of them made gains under the leadership of their Dutch coach this season and achieved respectable numbers of their own.

But the depth doesn't stop there. Diogo Jota He has struggled with the usual injuries this season but has managed to maintain a consistent degree of effectiveness, making him a unique and effective asset. Darwin NunezConversely, he still can't find his proper shooting shoes but he brings energy and perseverance to the table, at least.

Then there Federico Chiesa. Calling him a black sheep would be unfair, because he is skilled and agile. However, he has barely come out of the shadows since arriving in the summer as his fitness levels are way off the mark.

Liverpool's suffering led by Federico Chiesa

Chiesa was one of the biggest names in Europe just a few years ago, but severe injury problems have sidelined him. However, he regained his form last season, attracting the attention of Liverpool.

With one year remaining on his contract with the Old Lady, Liverpool Chiesa was snapped up for £12.5mis remarkably skilled for a 27-year-old striker with dynamism and quality beyond most of his peers. But injuries played a big role in Juventus' decision.

Salah's brilliance has allowed the right-forward's absence to go largely unnoticed, but considering he only featured four times and started once in all competitions as Liverpool head into the new year, that's not great.

Despite ostensibly recovering from the problems at the start of the month that hampered his run in the 2024/25 season, Chiesa remains an enigma on the playing front, with Slot yet to reintroduce him in the Premier League and effectively being left out of the squad for two matches.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, he has been courted by teams far from the strictly English division, and FSG may also accept any offers that float their way.

Why should Liverpool sell Federico Chiesa?

It may seem as if Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes would lose face if he sold Chiesa, his only first-team signing (aside from Giorgio Mamardashvili, who is on loan at Valencia), but in reality, Liverpool may have prepared for such an eventuality.

In the 2024/25 season, of course, Chiesa has missed several more games since returning from his devastating setback, but this appears to be of a technical nature, suggesting he has failed to beat Slot so far. As such, potential suitors stir up their intrigues.

According to Spanish sourcesSeveral Italian clubs, including Milan, Inter Milan and Napoli, are considering sending Chiesa back to his homeland, with the slower Serie A to be more accommodating to his sensitive situation.

The report also claims that the player himself is searching for new grounds before his Anfield career begins, aware that he is playing second fiddle to Salah even without bringing fitness into the equation. The Egyptian star's contract expires at the end of the season, but Liverpool is working to renew its star's contract.

It is difficult for Liverpool to charge more than a nominal fee for the Italian international, but that is not the worst thing in the world, especially when considering that he is on one of the club's biggest salaries in 2018. It was reported that £150,000 per week.

Given that Salah is the only Liverpool attacking star to receive a larger pay package – for example, Jota and Nunez earn £140,000 per week and Jacopo earns £120,000 per week – it is difficult to justify Chiesa getting to stay.

Liverpool is at the top of its game. You can feel it in the noise of the crowd, the sound of the visitors, whose eloquent cheering diminishes as the competition goes on, and the Slot men wearing them down like superior athletes in the boxing ring.

The frontline is thriving, and while Salah could do with an increased role from Chiesa, allowing the Egyptian's playing time to be managed a little better, he has failed to establish himself so far.

Hughes welcomed him into the fold after agreeing a small fee with Juventus. But Merseyside has produced an intensity that may have been too much for Chiesa's fragile bones.

It's a shame, because he's very talented, but it doesn't look like it's going to work out, and perhaps a young pistol like Sharqi should be signed as a replacement for Salah in 2025.