Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo have managed just two minutes of combined playing time for Liverpool this season, making their departures in 2027 look increasingly certain. Under new head coach Andoni Iraola, the pair have seen their involvement shrink even further than it was under predecessor Arne Slot.
Chiesa, the only one of the two to feature, was introduced in the 88th minute during the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City earlier this month after returning from injury. He has since been an unused substitute twice in the past week, against Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea. Endo, meanwhile, has been named among the substitutes on nine occasions without being called into action.
Champions League snub and youth preference
Both players were left out of Iraola's 25-man Champions League squad, with long-term injury absentee Hugo Ekitike selected ahead of them. A lengthy injury list has not improved their situation in recent weeks, and neither has been used in League Cup victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
Iraola has instead turned to Liverpool's academy, with Lewis Koumas and Trey Nyoni gaining valuable game time. The young pair have impressed under their new head coach, justifying their selection at the expense of more senior team-mates.
Endo's waiting game
Back in September, Iraola said Endo 'would have his moments' when addressing the midfielder's situation. After Liverpool's 0-0 draw with Fulham, he explained: "Wata lost quite a lot of the pre-season. He is still not at his best but he is training very well. The problem is in front of him in his position I have a lot of players. He is competing against a lot of players. We are giving minutes to Trey, Ryan, Alexis and Dom, players that I am selecting right now. But Wata is definitely a player that I like and for sure he will have his moments."
Heading into November, those moments have yet to materialise, and it would take a significant injury crisis for Endo's situation to change. Both he and Chiesa suffered injuries in pre-season, leaving them playing catch-up to impress their new boss while younger players seized their opportunities.
Transfer strategy and financial gains
Liverpool's academy has produced players who either feature for the first team or are sold for profit. In the last two years, Curtis Jones, Jarell Quansah, Ben Gannon-Doak, Caoimhin Kelleher, Tyler Morton, Sepp van den Berg, Fabio Carvalho and Bobby Clark have all been part of this strategy, earning the club £185.5m.
Endo is out of contract next summer and will certainly leave in 2027, with the only question being whether he departs in January or sees out his deal and leaves on a free transfer. Chiesa's situation is more complicated, as he is under contract until 2028 and has been linked with a return to Italy.
Once Ekitike returns from injury, Chiesa will fall further down the pecking order. A January exit would make sense if a suitable offer arrives. Otherwise, Liverpool could face a last-chance to sell him next season, with a loan or mutual termination of his final contract year not ruled out.
Former Italy international Angelo Di Livio has urged Chiesa to join AS Roma, saying a reunion with Gian Piero Gasperini would revive his career and earn him an international recall. "He made a mistake in joining Liverpool," Di Livio told Retesport. "A player who knows how to play football always knows how to do it. He needs to recover, but I'd take him since he can play on both flanks. With Gasperini, Chiesa would return to the national team."
Chiesa, 29, has scored five goals and provided four assists in 51 appearances for Liverpool, with only nine starts and two in the Premier League. The arrival of a new head coach often offers a fresh start, but Iraola's decision to favour youth appears to close the door on both players' futures. If either remains at Anfield beyond 2027, it would be a major surprise.
