Liverpool in huge transfer u-turn following opening day drama: report

Liverpool have been forced into a transfer U-turn following their opening day win against Bournemouth.

In what was an emotional return to action for Liverpool’s players, Hugo Ekitike, Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah all found the net for Arne Slot’s side, as they began the new Premier League campaign in style.

However, just 24 hours after the victory at Anfield, the future of one player has now been decided with haste, despite summer talk over his potential exit.

Liverpool transfer plans change, following Arne Slot’s first matchday

It was a team display that epitomised everything good about Liverpool.

Tireless pressing, never giving up in the face of adversity, the Reds have certainly turned into Premier League monsters under Slot’s tenure.

The Merseysiders have players willing to fight for every ball, and the environment at Anfield must still be reeling after the shock passing of Diogo Jota earlier this year. But having curated a winning culture to go side-by-side, one man now wants to remain at the club in order to fight further for his place.

Speaking after the game, Liverpool forward Chiesa insisted he is more determined than ever to remain at the club, despite relentless talk of a return to Italy.

But that could not now be further from the truth, as per Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by FcInterNews, the 27-year-old is now set to stay at Liverpool this season.

“This goal repays all the work I’ve done,” said Chiesa after Friday’s clash with the Cherries. “Last year, I can say I arrived in difficult conditions. I hadn’t trained at Juve, and I arrived here struggling, with a different pace.

“I don’t know why this decision was made, but not training for a month penalised me on my journey at Anfield. Slot has always encouraged me.”

On his future at Liverpool, Chiesa added: “I’m very happy here, I’m at one of the strongest clubs in the world, as the transfer market has shown.”

Further details explain how Chiesa has held direct meetings with Slot and his agent, Fali Ramadani. It’s claimed the Italy international is ‘considered unsellable’ for the English champions and therefore, his exit has been ruled out.

In FourFourTwo‘s view, this could be down to the exits of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz this summer, and with Alexander Isak’s proposed move still in the air, Slot needs as many options as he can get in forward areas.