Federico Chiesa can prove Richard Hughes right as reality of Liverpool transfer risk clear

When Richard Hughes suggested during an introductory press conference that the transfer window could be a slow burner to begin with before later igniting, it seems he was right. It's almost like the Liverpool sporting director knew.

The more you learn about Federico Chiesa, the easier it is to talk yourself into that being a shrewd move — he played more minutes than all but 13 Liverpool players last season and could be a steal at little more than $13m (£10m/€12m). Giorgi Mamardashvili is one for the future but an exciting prospect in a tricky position to recruit for nonetheless.

And assuming that Liverpool gets a deal done for Chiesa, the optics of the transfer window would suddenly look different from the outside, even if the Reds were only in the market for the right players at the right price. Those desperate for new additions would be satiated and there is no doubt that adding a 50-plus cap Italy international is exciting.

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Chiesa's injury history would be a concern, albeit the 26-year-old played more minutes last season than the likes of Diogo Jota, Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones. His quality, though, has never been in doubt.

"Chiesa hasn’t been able to play at his best at Juventus for different reasons," Italian soccer expert Stefano Buonfino told Transfermarkt. "First of all, his bad injury was a major setback and even when he got back, it affected him for many months.

"Also mentally, Chiesa didn’t seem to fully trust his body after the injury. Then, he played most of the time as a support striker, which isn’t his best position because he’s clearly better as a winger.

"Because of these factors, Chiesa isn’t considered as one of Juventus’ best players and he has a very high salary that they don’t want to pay as they adapt their approach. So Chiesa and Juventus are considering a transfer now as he wants to be an important player and Juventus could earn some money."

While the injury is one element of the player's recent past that needs to be evaluated, the fact that he has been playing out of position is another. If Arne Slot can deploy him in a role that he is better suited to him, he could get more from him. If he can be a rotation option, with Mohamed Salah the clear first choice on the right wing, that would be ideal.

Liverpool still looks light of numbers in defense and holding midfield, but the moves that have been made — while not being for obvious and immediate priorities — have certainly been the promised "opportunistic" deals.

If the Chiesa gamble pays off, and Liverpool clearly believes there is a good chance of that happening, then it could go down as the best piece of business any team in the Premier League has done all summer. If it doesn't, the reality is that it has been done for such a cheap sum that it won't matter.