Liverpool have finally confirmed their Premier League squad for the first half of the season and it is a decision that has already caused waves across the fanbase, the media, and even within the squad itself. The announcement came on a Friday evening, just after training, and while some names were expected, others came as a surprise. The most shocking part of all was that Liverpool’s £26 million summer signing Giovanni Leoni was left out, while Federico Chiesa, who had been dropped from the Champions League squad, was given a reprieve and added back in.
For weeks there had been debates, rumors, and arguments about what Arne Slot would do. The Dutchman, only a few months into his Liverpool reign, had to make one of the toughest calls of his early tenure. Balancing UEFA squad rules, Premier League homegrown quotas, and the reality of injuries and failed transfers, Slot was forced to choose between experience, youth, and necessity. And in the end, he made a bold call that has left Liverpool fans talking.
Chiesa, who only days earlier had been left devastated by his Champions League omission, suddenly found himself back in the spotlight. For him, this was redemption, even if only partial. The Italian forward, who arrived at Anfield to much fanfare, had feared being sidelined, but now his place in the Premier League squad has given him a second chance to prove himself on English soil. Slot knows the risk of alienating a big name, and in this case, he has given Chiesa the platform to fight for his place once again.
But while Chiesa smiled, Giovanni Leoni had to swallow bitter disappointment. Signed for £26 million during the summer window, the young Italian defender was tipped as one of Europe’s brightest talents. Yet despite his promise, the rules of squad registration caught up with him. UEFA’s regulations had already forced him out of the Champions League squad, and now Slot has decided that for Premier League duty, the squad balance simply did not allow for his inclusion among the senior 25-man list. However, unlike Chiesa’s situation, Leoni is not completely locked out. Because he qualifies as an under-21 player in the Premier League, he can still feature in domestic matches when called upon. It softens the blow, but it still feels strange for supporters to see such a highly valued signing omitted from the main squad list.
The picture becomes clearer when the rules are examined. UEFA and the Premier League do not operate under the same guidelines when it comes to under-21 eligibility. In Europe, Ngumoha and Leoni had to take up overseas slots because they had not been at Liverpool long enough to qualify as homegrown. But in England, the Premier League rules are slightly different, meaning Leoni can still be used despite not being on the core list. This difference explains why Chiesa, Calvin Ramsay, Rhys Williams, and Fabian Mrozek were added to the Premier League squad while Leoni was omitted.
For Liverpool, the registration puzzle is a headache that comes with being a club competing on multiple fronts. They must balance between giving opportunities to young talents, keeping senior stars happy, and ensuring depth in key positions. Arne Slot admitted himself that he would have preferred to avoid such a situation altogether. He revealed that Liverpool were incredibly close to securing Marc Guehi on deadline day, a move that would have given the squad more stability. But when the deal collapsed at the last moment, the domino effect forced him into difficult compromises.
Related Posts:
“I think it would be ridiculous if I’m going to deny we were close to signing him,” Slot said when asked about Guehi. “That is so out in the open that it would be ridiculous. These things happen in football, it happened to our players maybe in the past as well that they thought they were so close to signing somewhere else and then in the last moment, things change. This can happen. For me, we would like to sign him of course, because we were in for him.”
That admission tells the story of Liverpool’s summer: ambitious, aggressive in the market, but ultimately left a player short in defence. Guehi’s arrival would have freed space to manage the overseas quota differently, and Chiesa’s exclusion from the Champions League squad might never have happened. Instead, Liverpool head into the season knowing that defensive cover could still be a weak spot.
The final Premier League squad sees Chiesa and Ramsay take up the final overseas slots, with Mrozek and Williams added as homegrown players. In truth, it is unlikely that Ramsay, Williams, or Mrozek will see much first-team action this season. They are expected to spend the majority of their time training with the U21s under Rob Page’s guidance, serving as depth options in the event of injuries. But their inclusion was still necessary to meet the requirements of the league.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s homegrown list remains crucial. Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones, and Freddie Woodman all count as homegrown, giving Slot some flexibility. Yet the club still has one homegrown slot open, the very slot that would have gone to Guehi had Palace not pulled the plug. That vacancy is a reminder of unfinished business in the transfer market, and it will no doubt be addressed when January arrives.
For the youngsters, the story is slightly different. Players like Stefan Bajcetic, Luke Chambers, Jayden Danns, Kaide Gordon, Trent Kone-Doherty, Amara Nallo, Trey Nyoni, Calum Scanlon, and summer arrivals Armin Pecsi and Will Wright are all eligible for under-21 selection. That means Slot still has a wide pool of options to call upon in domestic competition, even if they are not part of the senior squad list. Liverpool’s academy pipeline is strong, and the inclusion of these names offers a glimpse of the future.
But let’s return to Chiesa, because his situation is the most dramatic of all. Only a week ago he was facing rejection, excluded from the squad list for Europe, his pride wounded, his confidence questioned. Now he finds himself included in the Premier League group, standing alongside Salah, Núñez, Díaz, and Jota. For him, this is a chance to answer his critics, to show Slot he deserves more than just a seat on the bench. His battle for minutes will not be easy. Competition in attack is fierce, and with Ngumoha knocking on the door too, Chiesa knows he must deliver when given the opportunity.
For the fans, this is a rollercoaster. They wanted to see Chiesa in both competitions, they wanted to see Leoni grow into the side, and they wanted Guehi added as a defensive rock. Instead, they are left with compromises, with some happy and others frustrated. But such is the reality of squad management at the elite level. Slot’s decisions will now be tested on the pitch.
Liverpool’s rivals will watch closely too. Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United—they all know that squad depth can make or break a season. Injuries are inevitable, form fluctuates, and suspensions can pile up. The teams that manage these challenges the best often find themselves lifting trophies come May. For Slot, this Premier League squad is not just a list of names. It is his arsenal for war. It is the group he must trust to battle through the grind of the season, through cold nights at Turf Moor, through fierce derbies against Everton, through clashes with Arsenal and City.
The weight of responsibility is heavy. Every omission tells a story. Every inclusion carries expectation. For Leoni, it is about patience and development. For Chiesa, it is about proving himself all over again. For the youngsters, it is about waiting for the one chance that can change a career. And for Slot, it is about surviving his first season at Anfield without being consumed by the pressure that comes with the Liverpool job.
In the end, this squad announcement is more than just paperwork. It is a reflection of Liverpool’s current state: ambitious but in transition, talented but still finding balance, exciting but vulnerable in certain areas. Supporters will debate the choices for days, pundits will analyze the gaps, and opponents will look for weaknesses. But for the players named in the squad, the focus is clear: the season starts now, and every game is a chance to make history.
Liverpool’s story this season will be written not just by their stars but also by those on the fringes, those waiting for their opportunity, those who turn disappointment into determination. Federico Chiesa has already lived both sides of that coin in just one week. His journey from rejection to redemption is a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in football. For Giovanni Leoni, his story is only beginning, and his time will come. And for Arne Slot, this squad list is only the first chapter of what promises to be a dramatic season at Anfield.
