Liverpool Rebuilds Forward Line as Chiesa Faces Cut-Price Exit to Inter

Liverpool’s attack is being torn up and rebuilt, and the consequences are starting to bite for those already in the building.

Richard Hughes has already moved decisively, triggering Victor Munoz’s release clause at Osasuna to land the Spain World Cup winner for £34 million. Munoz is the first piece in a sweeping overhaul of the frontline for the 2026/27 season, not the last.

The brief for this window was clear: more one-v-one threat out wide. Mohamed Salah’s free transfer to Trabzonspor turned that from a medium-term plan into an urgent priority.

Now Liverpool are chasing at least two more wingers.

Bradley Barcola sits at the top of the list. Paris Saint-Germain are digging in, demanding around £145m before even considering parting with their France international. It is a blockbuster fee, but Liverpool have not been scared off yet.

From the same dressing room, Ibrahim Mbaye has also come into view. The 18-year-old is regarded as one of PSG’s next big exports, and the two-time European champions are seeking in the region of £60m to let him go.

The net is wider than Paris. Bids have gone in for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh, and the early indications are promising. If Liverpool meet Brighton’s £70m valuation, that deal is there to be done.

All of this spending power has to come from somewhere.

Gakpo and Chiesa in the firing line

The reshuffle puts immediate pressure on the wide forwards already at Anfield. Cody Gakpo has been heavily linked with a big-money switch to Tottenham Hotspur, a move that could bank around £72m and give Liverpool fresh ammunition in the market.

Federico Chiesa is the other obvious casualty.

The Italy international arrived in 2024 with high expectations but has never truly adapted to the Premier League. On wages of £150,000 per week, he represents a significant outlay for a player who has not nailed down a starring role.

Liverpool signed Chiesa from Juventus on a deal that could climb to £12.5m. Two seasons later, his stock has plunged.

Inter circle as Chiesa’s value collapses

Inter Milan have stepped up their interest in recent days. With Luis Henrique close to joining Roma on what is expected to be a loan with an obligation to buy, Inter are lining up Chiesa as the man to fill that vacancy.

“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 snag for Liverpool is brutal but simple: Chiesa’s value has collapsed.

Inter want to pay only €10m (£8.5m) for the Euro 2020 winner, a figure that undercuts the roughly £20m Liverpool were initially believed to be seeking earlier in the window.

“Chiesa's market value currently stands at less than €10 million: a tempting opportunity that Marotta could seize,” the same report stated, before underlining the importance of the Henrique deal: “The deal with Roma for Luis Henrique is therefore the key to the entire scenario: the Giallorossi are negotiating with Inter on a loan with an obligation to buy, for a total fee of around €30 million including fixed fee and bonuses.”

A costly misstep for Hughes and Slot

For Liverpool, the numbers are damning.

Chiesa has earned £150k per week across two underwhelming seasons and now looks set to leave for less than the fee that brought him to Anfield. The club face not only a financial loss on the transfer but also the opportunity cost of a key squad slot and a substantial wage packet tied up in a player who never truly fit.

This is being viewed as a major misstep for Hughes. Chiesa was the only signing made for Arne Slot when the Dutchman arrived in 2024, a supposed statement addition that was meant to kick-start a new era.

Instead, as Liverpool chase Barcola, Mbaye and Minteh, Chiesa’s time at Anfield is petering out in the shadows — and the club may have to accept a cut-price fee just to move on and finish the rebuild they have already committed to.