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The future of Federico Chiesa could have a knock-on effect on Everton in the transfer window. That's because Napoli is reportedly interested in signing either Chiesa or Jack Grealish to bolster the left-wing position in the squad before the summer window closes.
Chiesa's Liverpool future looks increasingly uncertain after a debut season in which he started just once in the Premier League and once in the Champions League. Napoli is among several clubs in Serie A that have been linked with a move for Chiesa, but Manchester City star Grealish is also reportedly on the Serie A champion's radar.
If Napoli ends up signing Grealish instead of Chiesa, that would put a spanner in the works for Everton — because the Toffees are also keen on a deal to sign Grealish.
Grealish fell out of favor at City last season, lining up just seven times in the Premier League, with his most recent top-flight start coming in December.
If he moves to Napoli, the Toffees would have to look elsewhere for a new left winger, but it remains to be seen whether Grealish is interested in leaving England ahead of a season in which he will hope to nail down a spot in the Three Lions squad for next summer's Club World Cup.
Chiesa was the most notable exclusion from Liverpool's traveling squad for the pre-season tour of China, with the club suggesting that his absence was due to a slight fitness issue.
Just hours prior to Liverpool's flight to Hong Kong last month, the Italy international scored in the Reds' 5-0 behind-closed-doors victory over Stoke City at the AXA Training Center.
Given his difficult first season in England, Chiesa's omission has prompted more questions than answers. Speaking in an interview with Italian media in June, Chiesa revealed that a decision would soon be taken over his future.
“The year is over. But it’s an experience I would do again,” Chiesa said. “Soon I will sit down at the table with the club, Fali (Ramadani, his agent) and my family to find the best solution. I wouldn’t mind staying in Liverpool at all.
“In the first few months there was no shortage of difficulties, if you think that I arrived in Liverpool on 26 August and found myself catapulted to another planet.
"With other teammates, without having trained with them, but with a coach, zero friendlies, nothing… And, if you remember, in the autumn Liverpool were three times as good as the others, a crazy intensity.”
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