Italy national team coach Luciano Spalletti has said he would welcome Federico Chiesa leaving Liverpool for a return to Serie A. Chiesa has struggled for game time since moving to Anfield from Juventus in a £12million move last summer as he adapts to the demands of playing in the Premier League.

The forward has stepped off the bench in three of the last four games and scored his first Reds goal earlier this month in the 4-0 FA Cup third round home win over Accrington Stanley.

That, though, hasn't stopped growing speculation of a move back to Italy with Inter Milan, Napoli and Atalanta among a number of clubs linked with an interest in the 27-year-old this month.

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Chiesa's lack of minutes this season and various fitness concerns meant he failed to make the Italy squad for any of their autumn games in the UEFA Nations League, with his last appearance for the Azzurri coming in the Euro 2024 round of 16 defeat to Switzerland in June.

But Spalletti has suggested he would welcome Chiesa back to the fold and would prefer the attacker returned to his home country for regular action.

Asked if wants to see the Liverpool man back in Serie A, Spalletti said to Vivo Azzurro TV: “Yes, I would be very much in favour of having Chiesa under our watch in terms of the level of our football, to reintegrate him.

"Those who have this quality of looking you in the eye and breaking the line in front of them to get to the next one... there aren’t many of them.

“We’re hoping that Chiesa can play with more continuity and that we can see him train and play regularly.”

Chiesa is likely to again be on the bench for Liverpool's Premier League clash at home to Ipswich Town on Saturday, but could start in the final Champions League opening stage game at PSV Eindhoven next Wednesday.