What new Liverpool star asked Armani model wife after seeing Anfield

Liverpool new boy Federico Chiesa told his wife to play ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ as the private jet bringing him to Merseyside flew over Anfield on Wednesday.

Chiesa, 26, completed his £12.5m - £10m plus £2.5m in add-ons - switch from Juventus to the Reds on Thursday. The Italy winger penned a four-year contract to become Arne Slot ’s first summer recruit for this season.

And he’s already looking forward to the moment he will hear the Kop’s iconic anthem before his first game at Anfield. Chiesa said: “I just want to say something that stuck to my mind when I was about to land [in] the aeroplane.

"I saw Anfield and as soon as I saw Anfield I said to my wife, 'Put the song on – You'll Never Walk Alone – because I want to imagine myself playing there and hearing the chant of the fans.' It was just a fun bit."

Asked how it will feel when he hears it before a game, Chiesa added: "I will have shivers and it will be so emotional for me and for my family."

The Reds will pay £10m up front for the winger with the £2.5m in add-ons dependent on the Merseysiders winning the Premier League and Champions League. Liverpool believe they have got huge value in signing a player they’ve been watching since his Fiorentina days with new sporting director Richard Hughes key to the deal.

Italy international Chiesa was valued north of £80m after Euro 2020 - which took place in 2021 due to the pandemic - and the club are confident an ACL injury suffered in 2022 will not be an issue. They also believe that head coach Arne Slot and fitness guru Ruben Peeters will be crucial in ensuring Chiesa is well managed to avoid further injuries.

It is understood that he turned down more lucrative offers in Saudi Arabia to pen a deal worth the same as his Juventus contract, which had one year left to run and was worth around £80,000-a-week.

Chiesa - who spent four years at Juventus - added: “I’m so happy to be a Liverpool player.

“When Richard Hughes called me and he said, ‘Do you want to join Liverpool?’ – and the coach called me – I said yes immediately because I know the history of this club, I know what it represents to the fans.

“So, I’m so happy and I can’t wait to get started.”