Liverpool's Attack Rebuild: Chiesa Faces Exit as Inter Milan Show Interest

Liverpool’s overhaul of their attack for 2026/27 is accelerating – and it’s leaving little room for sentiment or passengers.

Victor Munoz has already arrived, the Spain World Cup winner prised from Osasuna after Richard Hughes activated his £34 million release clause. He is the first piece of a new-look frontline. He will not be the last.

Salah gone, wingers wanted

Mohamed Salah’s free transfer to Trabzonspor ripped out both goals and aura from Liverpool’s right flank. Inside the club, the response has been clear: stack the squad with one-v-one specialists out wide.

At least two more wingers are being targeted.

• Bradley Barcola tops the list. Paris Saint-Germain are playing hardball and want around £145m before even thinking about letting the France international go. It is a huge number, but Liverpool have not been scared off yet.
• From the same dressing room, Ibrahim Mbaye is also on the radar. At 18, he is viewed as one for both the present and the future, with PSG seeking roughly £60m for the teenager.
• There is movement elsewhere too. Bids have gone in for Yankuba Minteh and the mood around that chase is upbeat. If Liverpool meet Brighton’s £70m valuation, that deal is expected to get done.

All of which has serious consequences for the players already in those positions.

Gakpo money, Chiesa problem

Cody Gakpo has been heavily linked with Tottenham Hotspur, a move that could bring in around £72m. That sort of fee would go a long way to funding the Barcola pursuit.

Federico Chiesa is the other name edging towards the exit.

Signed in 2024, the Italy international never truly adapted to the Premier League or to life at Anfield. At 28, and on wages of £150,000 per week, he now looks like the kind of luxury Liverpool can no longer justify as they reshape the attack around younger, more explosive wide men.

Inter’s move – and a brutal valuation drop

Inter Milan have stepped forward in recent days. Chiesa, who joined Liverpool for a package that could reach £12.5m, is firmly on their list.

Their plan is tied to another deal. Once Luis Henrique’s transfer to Roma is completed – expected to be a loan with an obligation to buy – Inter coach Cristian Chivu is ready to strike for a replacement.

“It's no secret that Federico Chiesa has long been in Inter's sights: the Liverpool striker fits the profile of the player the Nerazzurri are looking for,” Sportal reported.

The issue for Liverpool is stark: Chiesa’s value has collapsed after two poor seasons.

Inter are aiming to pay only €10m (£8.5m) for the Euro 2020 winner, barely half of the £20m figure Liverpool were believed to be seeking earlier in the window. Sportal describes it as a “tempting opportunity” for Inter chief Beppe Marotta, with Chiesa’s market value “currently standing at less than €10 million”.

That same report underlines how central Luis Henrique’s move is to the whole puzzle, with Roma and Inter working on a loan plus obligation to buy for a total of around €30m including bonuses. Once that is sealed, Inter will move.

A costly misstep for Hughes and Slot

For Liverpool, the numbers are painful. Chiesa has earned £150k per week across two largely unproductive campaigns and now looks set to be sold at a loss.

This was Arne Slot’s only addition when the Dutchman arrived in 2024, a deal that was supposed to give Liverpool a proven, big-game wide forward. Instead, it has become a cautionary tale.

As the club chases Barcola, Mbaye and Minteh, and counts the potential Gakpo windfall, Chiesa stands as the awkward reminder that not every gamble pays off. The next winger Liverpool sign cannot afford to be another one.