Liverpool's Rebuild: Chiesa's Exit as Inter Milan Circles

Liverpool’s overhaul of their attack for 2026/27 is gathering speed – and it is spelling the end for Federico Chiesa at Anfield.

Richard Hughes has already moved decisively, triggering Victor Munoz’s release clause at Osasuna to land the Spain World Cup winner for £34 million. That is only the start. The plan is clear: stack the squad with wingers who can beat their man one-on-one and reshape the flanks after Mohamed Salah’s free transfer to Trabzonspor ripped a huge hole in the right side.

Liverpool’s winger hunt: Barcola, Mbaye, Minteh

The marquee target is Bradley Barcola. Liverpool want the Paris Saint-Germain winger to headline the new era out wide, but PSG are driving a hard bargain and are holding out for a deal worth around £145m before they even think about letting the France international leave.

From the same dressing room comes another name on the list: Ibrahim Mbaye. The 18-year-old is regarded as one of PSG’s brightest prospects, and the two-time European champions are seeking roughly £60m if they are to cash in on him this summer.

Liverpool are not stopping there. Bids have gone in for Yankuba Minteh, with Brighton standing firm on a £70m valuation. The noises around that deal are positive; Liverpool believe they can get it done if they meet the asking price.

All of that spending power has consequences. Existing wide forwards know their positions are under threat.

Cody Gakpo has already been linked with a big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur, a transfer that could inject around £72m into Liverpool’s budget. Another high-profile name being pushed towards the exit is Chiesa.

Chiesa’s Liverpool spell unravels

When Chiesa arrived from Juventus in 2024, he was billed as a statement signing for Arne Slot’s first squad, the one big addition to usher in a new phase. It has not worked.

The Italy international has struggled to adapt to the Premier League and has never truly imposed himself in Liverpool colours. At 28, on wages of £150,000 per week, he has become an expensive luxury in a squad that is now being retooled around pace, youth and direct wing play.

Liverpool initially committed to a package that could reach £12.5m for Chiesa. They expected a proven Euro 2020 winner to deliver immediately. Instead, they have watched his stock collapse over two flat, unproductive seasons.

Inter sense a bargain

Inter Milan have moved into position. With Luis Henrique expected to join Roma on a loan with an obligation to buy – a deal reported to total around €30m including bonuses – Inter are lining up Chiesa as the replacement once that transfer is wrapped up.

“It's no secret that Federico Chiesa has long been in Inter's sights: the Liverpool striker fits the profile of the player the Nerazzurri are looking for,” Sportal reported. The admiration is longstanding; the price is not.

Inter are aiming low. They want Chiesa for just €10m, around £8.5m. That figure is miles off the roughly £20m Liverpool were understood to be seeking earlier in the window and reflects how far his value has fallen.

“Chiesa's market value currently stands at less than €10 million: a tempting opportunity that Marotta could seize,” the same report added, underlining how the Italian champions view this as a cut-price chance to land a player they have tracked for years.

A costly misstep for Hughes and Liverpool

For Liverpool, the numbers make grim reading. Two poor campaigns, £150k a week drained from the wage bill, and now the prospect of selling at a clear loss on a player signed to be the flagship of Slot’s first summer.

What was supposed to be a cornerstone deal has become a cautionary tale. Chiesa, the only incoming when Slot took over in 2024, is on the verge of leaving as an emblem of a misjudged move, just as Liverpool pour money into a new generation of wingers.

If Inter get their way at €10m, the Munoz era and the chase for Barcola, Mbaye and Minteh will begin with a bruising reminder: in this rebuild, Liverpool are paying a heavy price for getting Chiesa wrong.