Liverpool Told to Sell £12m Star after Wolves Performance
Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Wolves delivered three points, a first Anfield goal for Florian Wirtz, and yet another reminder that this season’s Premier League campaign remains erratic, unbalanced, and littered with self-inflicted wounds.
As aptly observed in the original report from Football Fancast, “Liverpool are their own worst enemies in the Premier League this season.” While the top-four race has steadied somewhat, the broader narrative continues to disappoint under Arne Slot, who arrived in summer 2024 and instantly delivered a historic Premier League title in his debut season. The 2025 title defence, however, has unravelled, with Liverpool currently languishing in 4th, a far cry from the dominance of last term.
Additionally, Football Fancast themselves noted that Liverpool paid Bayer Leverkusen £116m for Wirtz, a club-record British fee, with Wirtz assisting Hugo Ekitike last week before scoring at home against Wolves, who remain bottom of the table with just two points. Wirtz produced a standout performance, with Sofascore reporting 11 duels won and eight completed dribbles, described as “head and shoulders above his peers and opponents.”
Wirtz Rising, Chiesa Fading
Despite the optimism around Wirtz finding his stride, another forward squandered his moment in the spotlight. Federico Chiesa, signed for a bargain £12.5m from Juventus in 2024, was handed a rare Premier League start, with injuries and absences creating a rare opening. Slot was without Dominik Szoboszlai due to suspension, and yet Chiesa failed to capitalise.
Liverpool Echo delivered a damning verdict: “while Chiesa played a part in Gravenberch’s opening goal, he was largely ineffective down the right wing, minimally involved and lacking the vim and vigour,” ultimately earning a 5/10, the lowest score in the match.
The wider data only worsens the case. Football Fancast’s title makes the situation stark, labelling him a “Liverpool flop who lost 100% duels.” That figure alone should sound alarm bells for a club fighting to reassert control, intensity, and balance in wide areas.
Chiesa, on £150k per week, looks increasingly misaligned with Slot’s tactical demands. The report highlighted that Slot has shown trust in deploying Jeremie Frimpong further forward, and that “FSG might conclude that Chiesa should be sold,” especially once Salah returns from AFCON, which will tighten minutes further.
Semenyo Alternative, Wirtz Upgrade Path
Liverpool are exploring new winger options, including Antoine Semenyo, but the article also emphasised a potentially superior route: “Semenyo upgrade: Liverpool looking at signing ‘one of the best LWs in Europe.’”
This shift in recruitment signals a club aware that Chiesa is no longer central to future plans. If a high-end winger arrives, his sale becomes inevitable, logical, and likely overdue.
Liverpool’s attack needs certainty, dynamism, duel dominance, and consistent involvement. Wirtz appears to offer that in abundance, while Chiesa’s fleeting influence and 0% duel success rate highlights a player drifting further from relevance.
Our View – Anfield Index Analysis
From a Liverpool supporter’s perspective, this report feels unbalanced, reactive, and overly simplistic.
Yes, Chiesa lost 100% of his duels, a worrying statistic on paper, but football is not played on spreadsheets alone. His contribution to the opening goal, as acknowledged by the Liverpool Echo, shows a player still capable of influencing decisive moments, even when not fully sharp. Labelling him a “flop” after 5/10 scoreline context ignores the deeper issues in Liverpool’s season, including midfield imbalance, repeated set-piece frailty, and inconsistent wide support structures.
The suggestion that Slot “has shown trust in deploying Frimpong further forward” overlooks the fact that Frimpong is not a natural winger, nor is he delivering the output of one. Liverpool’s issues on the right flank stem from tactical stagnation in transition, and a lack of overlapping patterns, not Chiesa alone.
More importantly, any talk of selling Chiesa must consider the timing. Liverpool are 4th, in a disappointing title defence, after Slot won the Premier League in his debut season. The title defence has stalled, the attack has lacked cohesion, and Liverpool have dropped points in moments that Chiesa did not even feature in. This narrative paints him as the problem, when he has barely been given the minutes to be one.
Liverpool need squad depth, especially during Salah’s AFCON absence. Selling Chiesa mid-season would leave a gap, not solve one. Wirtz looks promising, a £116m signing finally scoring is welcome, but Liverpool fans know that splashing cash has not translated into stability this season. Sitting 4th is not a crisis that Chiesa created.
Chiesa deserves more nuance, more patience, and more structured attacking systems before the exit talk begins. Blaming him after one match is short-sighted, emotional, and detached from what Liverpool actually need, control in both boxes, clearer attacking rotations, and tactical evolution under Slot.
