Manchester United are showing interest in Juventus winger Federico Chiesa ahead of the summer transfer window, with Erik ten Hag looking to add some quality to his attacking department.
What’s the latest on Federico Chiesa to Manchester United?
According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via TEAMtalk), the Red Devils are keen on making a surprise move for Chiesa, with the player looking for a move away from the Serie A side.
Juventus will consider bids in the region of €35m (£30m) for the Italian international, which considering his form before his horrific knee injury suffered in 2022, suggests Ten Hag would be securing a potential bargain, especially if he could get him back to his best.
Could Federico Chiesa improve Manchester United?
Before missing the majority of 2022, the 25-year-old had scored 18 goals and grabbed 14 assists since arriving in Turin at the start of the 2020/2021 campaign, underlining his attacking qualities from the left wing.
His form hasn’t been quite as sparkling since recovering, which is understandable, yet he has still managed four goals and six assists during 2022/2023, a decent enough return and a solid pre-season will surely have him back to his best.
Chiesa is statistically similar to Arsenal starlet Bukayo Saka according to FBref, with the Englishman the third-most comparable player to the Italian and given that he has been on fire over the previous few seasons, registering 44 goal contributions, it certainly isn’t a bad comparison to have.
Indeed, this season has seen the pair register similar stats across a variety of attacking metrics such as shots per 90 (2.75 to 2.43), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.56 to 4.34) and goal-creating actions per 90 (0.79 to 0.63), displaying their eye for creating scoring opportunities for both themselves and others.
Both Chiesa and Saka count crossing and holding onto the ball as key strengths according to WhoScored, while they both have a similar style of play as the pair like to cut inside on a regular basis, fashioning chance after chance and this must come into Ten Hag’s thinking if he is considering launching a bid for the player.
He was lauded as “incredible” by journalist Jack Gallagher and having also shone on the international stage, helping Italy win their first European Championship in 53 years after defeating England at Wembley in 2021, he has plenty of experience and a move to Old Trafford shouldn’t faze him in the slightest.
For just £30m, the move is a gamble that could be worth every penny should he recapture his previous form.
