Summary Manchester United are interested in signing Federico Chiesa from Juventus this summer, as they aim to strengthen their attacking options. Chiesa was highly regarded in Italian football before suffering a serious ACL injury in January 2022. Despite a less-than-impressive season after his return, he still outperformed Jadon Sancho in several statistical categories. Chiesa's potential return to his pre-injury form could make him an upgrade on the England star and provide a boost to Manchester United's attacking threat.
Manchester United are reportedly interested in making a move for Juventus winger Federico Chiesa this summer as Erik ten Hag aims to significantly bolster his attacking options.
The Old Trafford side will have only signed Mason Mount during the current transfer window and with the start of the Premier League season just over three weeks away, the Dutchman doesn’t have long in order to make another few signings.
Are Manchester United interested in Federico Chiesa?
According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), United are the latest club to signal their interest in the Juventus winger.
Ten Hag will face some competition from Liverpool and Newcastle United for Chiesa, although with Champions League football gracing the Old Trafford pitch next season, it could be the ideal incentive in order to lure him to Manchester.
If the Serie A side were to receive a bid of €50m (£43m) for the 25-year-old whiz, then he ‘can leave’ Italy and the Red Devils may be tempted to launch a bid in the coming weeks.
How good is Federico Chiesa?
Before suffering a serious ACL injury in January 2022, Chiesa was primed to be the next darling of Italian football, especially with his exploits during his time at Fiorentina and with the national team.
The left-winger emerged onto the scene during the 2016/17 season and eventually registered 59 goal contributions – 34 goals and 25 assists – across just 153 games before joining the Old Lady in 2021.
He played a key role for Italy as they won their first European Championship since 1968 when he scored twice during Euro 2021, and it certainly appeared as though he was ready to explode and develop into one of the finest players in Italy.
It hasn’t quite worked out that way due to his injury and since returning to action, Chiesa managed just four goals and six assists last term, yet he could certainly be an upgrade on current United left-winger Jadon Sancho, with the Englishman struggling during his stint at the club.
Considering United shelled out a fee of £73m for the former Borussia Dortmund starlet, he has yet to live up to the expectation, scoring only 12 times and grabbing six assists across his two seasons at the club.
Following a promising start to last term, Sancho missed a large chunk of the campaign due to physical and mental health issues, leading to his failure to claim a place in the England squad for the 2022 World Cup.
Although Chiesa also failed to sparkle last season, he still registered more shots per 90 (2.75 to 1.12), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.63 to 0.48) and was successful with a higher percentage of take-ons (53.3% to 42.3%) than Sancho, and although he didn’t score as much as league goals as the Englishman (six to two), it appears as though he posed a bigger attacking threat in terms of total shots and his ability to take on defenders.
Once hailed as a “diamond” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Chiesa also had more league assists than the 23-year-old (five to three) and missed fewer big chances (one to two), suggesting he is able to create more chances for his teammates and there is no doubt that if he returns to his pre-injury form, he could be an upgrade on Sancho next season.