Liverpool wonderkid ready for first team after INCREDIBLE performance

Liverpool only added ONE player to their squad in the summer transfer window.

Although a deal was done for Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, the Valencia first-choice won’t actually link up with his new teammates until next summer.

That left Italy forward Federico Chiesa as the only senior arrival, joining from Juventus for a fee that could reach £12 million.

It has however been a NIGHTMARE start to life at Anfield for Chiesa, who has only featured for a total of 78 minutes and has barely been spotted over the past two months.

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Chiesa's shocking struggles

Speculation has grown that the 27-year-old could be allowed to return to Serie A in the winter transfer window with AC Milan, Inter and Napoli all linked with his signature either on loan or a permanent basis.

Head coach Arne Slot has conceded that Chiesa isn’t yet up to the rigours of Premier League football, leaving the Reds short of cover on the right side of attack.

One of the key reasons a new right winger was required is that Mohamed Salah is now 32 and a deputy would have given the Liverpool coach an opportunity to rest him now and again.

No new contract for Salah

Salah has been imperious throughout his seven-year tenure at Anfield, leading the goalscoring charts every season but missed a considerable amount of football last season due to an injury sustained at the Africa Cup of Nations.

It was hoped that Chiesa could be rotated in and out of the team in order to alleviate the burden on Salah but it looks like that is a remote possibility at present.

And, with Salah out of contract at the end of the season, there is every reason to believe that a new, long-term replacement will soon need to be sourced.

Ben Doak in electrifying form

That’s if sporting director Richard Hughes fails to get a new deal over the line for Salah and the indications are that he might well be off to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia next summer.

Happily for the Reds there is an emerging option for the right-wing slot from within their own ranks. Ben Doak, 18, joined from Celtic back in 2022 and after his fair share of injury problems is finally putting together a consistent run of form.

The Scotland international is currently on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship, earning praise from Boro fans and observers of the league at large due to his electrifying performances.

Doak's stunning Boro display

He was at it again on Tuesday night, putting in a dominant display as Boro demolished Queens Park Rangers away from home. Doak created a game-high five chances, including a supreme assist for Riley McGree in the 4-1 victory.

It promises to be a productive season for Doak, who is gaining confidence week by week under Michael Carrick.

If his level of displays continues at its current trajectory there is no reason to doubt that he can rotate in and out of the lineup to relieve the burden on Salah - should he stay - or else replace the Egyptian king and become a mainstay in the Liverpool lineup in the future.

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