Liverpool dealt blow in Tijjani Reijnders pursuit as Federico Chiesa’s future uncertain

Liverpool’s hopes of signing AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders could have been dashed as the Serie A club move to secure his future – potentially leaving Federico Chiesa’s future uncertain.

Reijnders has become a key player in Milan’s engine room since arriving from AZ Alkmaar for a fee in the region of $21.6 million last season. The 26-year-old nailed down a role in the midfield in his debut campaign and has kicked on in his second season in Italy, even scoring three times in four Champions League games, including in the 3-1 win against Real Madrid.

The Dutchman possesses it all to be a top-class box-to-box midfielder and has also attracted interest from fellow Premier League sides Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

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Liverpool’s interest in the Dutchman was reported by MilanLive earlier this month, as they claimed Milan have been in contact with the Reds regarding Chiesa’s availability. They say that the Rossoneri had offered Liverpool a swap deal involving the two players, with Chiesa acting as a makeweight to bring the price down.

But the Reds' chances of adding the Milan star to their midfield have been knocked back with it apparent that despite a poor start to the league campaign, Milan are looking to lock down the midfielder, who is also happy to remain in Italy.

According to Fabrizio Romano, talks between the player and club are progressing regarding a new contract. It’s added that Reijnders is seen as a “key part” of the Milan project and fresh terms have now become the “main topic”. Romano reported late last month that Milan had opened talks with Reijnders and his camp over a contract extension, which appears to have advanced.

Regarding Chiesa’s future, CalcioMercato reported that Como are interested in making a loan move for the forward. The team managed by former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas enjoyed a busy summer after earning promotion to the Serie A, bringing in the likes of Raphael Varane and Sergi Roberto; however, the former announced his retirement shortly after due to injury problems.

Chiesa joined Liverpool late in the summer transfer window in a €13m deal from Juventus that appeared to many Reds fans to be a bargain. However, the Italian has made just three appearances, with just one of them in the starting line-up in the EFL Cup demolition against West Ham. Amid his injury concerns prior to arriving at Anfield, Chiesa hasn’t featured since the cup win.

Arne Slot had commented on Chiesa’s fitness, stating that the 27-year-old had to get up to match fitness having barely had a pre-season. It’s unlikely that Liverpool will move Chiesa on after just a matter of months in January but his long-term future is unclear.