Juventus made clear that Federico Chiesa is frozen out of the squad today, but why has the situation deteriorated to this point and what could happen next?
The Italy international was one of the best performers in the victorious EURO 2020 campaign only three years ago, a summer after making the move from Fiorentina to Turin.
However, he was left out of the team for today’s pre-season friendly against Brest and that made it clear once and for all that he is an outcast at his club.
There are several reasons why the 26-year-old has gone from key figure to a weight hanging around the Old Lady’s neck.
Chiesa was a huge investment when he arrived from Fiorentina in 2020, initially on loan for €12.6m and then with obligation to buy in 2022 for a further €44.6m.
That move came practically on transfer deadline day after a summer of tension with the Viola, where he refused to sign a new contract, turned down several moves with better financial terms and only had his heart set on their bitter rivals Juve.
His determination to force through that transfer and practically hold Fiorentina hostage to his whim has not been forgotten by Bianconeri directors, who now risk finding themselves on the other side of that scenario.
The contract expires in June 2025 and Chiesa is again keeping everyone else waiting while he holds out for his favoured move.
Chiesa cannot afford to be too choosy
The big difference this time is that he doesn’t know what that move is, nor is there an offer on the table that would satisfy anyone involved.
The Premier League is a likely destination, but Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea don’t seem particularly interested, while Chiesa isn’t too excited about Napoli or Roma in Italy.
His options are getting whittled down and Juve’s decision today confirmed they are losing patience.
At the same time, saying the arrival of Thiago Motta alone was behind the shift away from Chiesa is not fair either, as the versatile winger had already famously clashed with previous coach Max Allegri.
Capable of playing on the right or left, the son of former Parma striker Enrico Chiesa has never quite found his ideal role, but is very adamant he wants to start as close to the touchline as possible.
With a disastrous injury record and never quite fully recovering from the torn anterior cruciate ligament in January 2022, Juve decided back in January that they would build the team around teenage sensation Kenan Yildiz instead.
Chiesa is simply not reliable enough and too tactically rebellious to warrant the huge salary demands of a new contract.
Even selling him for €20-30m is considered better than the risk of losing him as a free agent, but those are precisely the issues why no other clubs are stepping in for him either.