Liverpool always have a plan up their sleeve but sometimes they can get things wrong.

The Reds have begun their pre-season and Arne Slot will use this time wisely to experiment with his team and work out which players he wants to keep.

The Dutchman certainly isn’t short of options and has a plethora of new signings at his disposal, as well as a wealth of young talent to choose from.

Not only this, but he has current players who may feel like a new arrival, with Federico Chiesa perhaps one of these who could have a huge impact ahead of their title defence.

Jamie Carragher refuses to give up and 'finds a way' after getting turned away by Ibiza bouncer	Federico Chiesa's future and 3 more questions for Arne Slot and Liverpool after Preston friendly	Liverpool fans have a lot to say about the position Federico Chiesa played against Preston

However, although he played well against Preston in their opening friendly, Liverpool need to be very careful with their new plan for the Italian as it could significantly damage their title hopes next season.

Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images

As mentioned, experimentation is key during this period and Slot did that with Chiesa by playing him as the number nine during their first match.

It is safe to say it worked as he looked sharp and played a key role in the Reds’ opening goal, leaving many to think that this could be his new position.

The Athletic have also reported that Chiesa is ‘considered an option’ as Liverpool’s new number nine, perhaps thinking they can save a lot of money while still maintaining threat.

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However, statistics would show that they would be getting this very wrong if they actually followed through with their plan, with the Italian not being very threatening when playing through the middle.

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Stats when playing as a strikerFederico ChiesaAppearances 18Goals3Assists4Stats from Transfermarkt and correct as of 15/07/25

In fact, he even played there once for the Reds last season against Brighton, with the Italian playing 63 minutes through the middle and failing to make a meaningful contribution as Liverpool suffered defeat.

He only played 104 minutes in the league in total, with the majority coming from striker, suggesting this is not the route for the Reds to go down.

There is a lot of pressure to get their next option right too after the failure of Darwin Nunez, indicating that Liverpool need to go big or go home on this one.

Even if not as a striker, or at least the regular for that matter, Chiesa still has a big season ahead of him and he could be very useful throughout the season.

There is no denying his ability, he just needs the chances to prove it, and he might get them next season as the Reds are expected to go deep into every competition.

His versatility will be hugely beneficial and he can fill in when he is needed, and with departures expected along the frontline, he will likely get more than he has in the past.

The Italian is certainly a fan favourite and his song can regularly be heard ringing around Anfield, and fans will be hoping they get to sing it more often than they have before.