Federico Chiesa’s Liverpool Limbo: Roy Keane’s Brutal Remark

Federico Chiesa is still a Liverpool player. That simple fact now feels like a talking point in itself.

A summer of churn at Anfield saw pillars of recent eras walk out the door. Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate all departed on free transfers. Curtis Jones left too, heading for Inter Milan in a £30 million move. With that level of change, Chiesa’s name naturally floated near the exit as well, often linked with a return to Serie A.

He never went. He stayed on Merseyside. And that, more than his performances, is what has dragged him back into the debate.

The latest flashpoint came on Stick to Football. As Jamie Carragher ran through Liverpool’s squad and who might actually play, he bluntly suggested that Chiesa and Wataru Endo “aren’t gonna kick a ball” for the club this season. Before the point could even land, Roy Keane cut across with a line that stung: “Is he still there?”

Four words, but they told a story.

A Talent Stuck on the Edges

Keane’s jab wasn’t just for effect. It captured how invisible Chiesa has often felt since joining Liverpool.

The ability has never really been questioned. The impact has. Last season he featured in 26 Premier League matches, yet started only once – at home to Wolves in December. One league start across an entire campaign. For a player of his reputation, that number screams his status more loudly than any opinion show ever could.

He has not featured in either of Liverpool’s first two league games this season, but there is a clear reason. Chiesa picked up a minor injury during a pre-season game against Como, and Andoni Iraola has already outlined the plan: the winger is expected back in training during the international break in late September.

That sounds manageable on paper. In reality, it means more matches missed and a tougher route back into a squad that has moved on without him.

Iraola’s Wide Dilemma

By the time Chiesa returns, the picture on the flanks could be even more complicated.

Bradley Barcola’s arrival has added another body – and another serious talent – to positions out wide. Liverpool now have five senior winger options fighting for minutes. For someone already scrapping for relevance, that is a brutal queue to rejoin.

Yet there is a crack of light.

Chiesa remains the only natural right-sided forward in the senior group. That profile still matters. Over a long, demanding season, Iraola will have to rotate. Fixtures will stack up, legs will tire, and systems will need tweaking. In those moments, a fit, sharp Chiesa offers something different: direct running, a strong right-sided presence, and the ability to change a game in short bursts.

If he can get himself to that level.

Reputation on the Line

For now, the real battle is not just for minutes. It is for perception.

Keane’s throwaway line landed because it matched the general feeling: Chiesa’s Liverpool career has never really caught fire. He has been there, but not truly there. On the fringes. On the team sheet, but rarely in the story of the match.

Changing that narrative will not come through interviews or speculation about moves back to Italy. It has to come in those 20-minute cameos, those tight games in November, those Europa nights where someone has to grab the moment.

Even if starts remain rare, meaningful contributions off the bench can shift the conversation. A decisive assist here, a crucial goal there, and the tone around his name changes. From “Is he still there?” to “He has to play more.”

Right now, Chiesa looks set for another season on the margins. The pattern is familiar, the doubts are loud, and the depth chart is unforgiving.

But football does not always respect the script. One return to fitness, one opening, one performance that sticks in the memory – and the next time his name comes up on a studio sofa, the laughter might sound very different.