Federico Chiesa is set to become part of an exclusive group as Liverpool closes in on the Premier League title.

Chiesa is the only Italian player in Liverpool's squad, and should he make just one more appearance across the Reds' final five games of the campaign, he will guarantee himself a Premier League winner's medal.

Curiously, very few Italian players have won the Premier League since the division's 1992 rebrand, with Mario Balotelli — who forgettably spent the 2014-15 season at Liverpool after a £16 million ($21.3 million) transfer from AC Milan — the most notable one after scoring 13 goals in 23 appearances as Manchester City won the league in dramatic circumstances in 2011-12.



Read More.

Federico Chiesa can join exclusive club on Sunday as Liverpool prepare for Premier League title celebrations	Federico Chiesa transfer expected as Liverpool journalist explains treatment	Virgil van Dijk gives his ‘opinion’ on Federico Chiesa and his Liverpool future

The only other Italian who collected a winner's medal previously was Carlo Cudicini, who was Chelsea's back-up goalkeeper during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons, although he made just seven appearances across those two campaigns.

Chiesa has appeared in just four of Liverpool's 33 Premier League games so far this season, so whatever happens between now and the end of the campaign, Balotelli will remain the only Italian player who has made a significant contribution to a Premier League title win, but Chiesa can at least guarantee himself a medal if he makes just one more appearance before the end of the season.

Between 1992 and 2012, players had to have made 10 appearances to guarantee a league winner's medal, but that requirement dropped to just five appearances from the 2012-13 season onwards.



Mario Balotelli, who played for Liverpool in the 2014-15 season, won the Premier League with Manchester City in 2012

Even if Chiesa does not make another appearance for Liverpool this season, he could still end up with a winner's medal

That's because title-winning clubs are given 40 medals to do with as they see fit, as long as all players with five appearances or more receive one.

The Premier League website explains: "The champions are given 40 commemorative medals made of silver, which are 2.25in (5.7cm) in diameter.

"They can be distributed to the manager, players and officials, as the club see fit, as long as every player who has made at least five Premier League appearances during the title-winning season gets one.

"Additional medals may only be presented with the consent of the Premier League Board, and that will only be granted if more than 39 players have made at least five PL appearances during the campaign."


For more news relating to Chelsea, visit our sister site Chelsea Latest Live.