by Reg » Sat Aug 16, 2025 9:11 pm
Giovanni Leoni: why Liverpool could not miss chance to sign rising star
After failing in pursuit of other young prospects in the past, securing signature of promising 18-year-old Italian gives Arne Slot much needed depth
Paul Joyce, Northern Football Correspondent
Friday August 15 2025, 1.20pm, The Times
The search began with Levi Colwill and moved on to Leny Yoro before Dean Huijsen came under scrutiny. There have been frustrations for Liverpool in recent seasons as they have sought defensive reinforcements, but, finally, they have their man.
Giovanni Leoni’s arrival from Parma heralds the end of an exhaustive hunt for a young, potentially elite, centre back, with the 18-year-old set to be at Anfield on Friday for the start of the new Premier League season. He has agreed a six-year deal after a £26million transfer and expectations are high for the 6ft 5in teenager.
The reasons why those previous targets remained out of reach for Liverpool are varied.
Chelsea would not countenance selling Colwill. Yoro wanted to play first-team football straight away, something Manchester United were prepared to offer when signing him from Lille 12 months ago and Liverpool would not. The Spain international Huijsen gravitated, understandably, towards Real Madrid earlier in the summer.
The battleground for Europe’s best emerging talent is always fierce, but the market for centre backs has been increasingly complex, with quality scarce and prices inflated as a result.
It is why, when another opportunity arose, Liverpool believed moving now was essential, although competition for Leoni’s signature was marked by a similar jostling for position.
Inter Milan proved to be Liverpool’s closest rival, with their new head coach, Cristian Chivu, having overseen the youngster’s development when he was in charge at Parma last season. However, last season’s Champions League finalists have also had eyes on other positions and possessed a budget that could not fulfil all of Chivu’s wishlist.
The athletic Leoni, who stands at 6ft 5in, is being talked about as a potential member of Italy’s next international squad
It is understood Eddie Howe’s side made a formal bid to Parma for Leoni but could not prevent Liverpool from getting their hands on the prize. Whether that scenario plays out with the Newcastle striker Alexander Isak remains to be seen.
Leoni’s resistance of Newcastle’s advances is, in part, because Liverpool have made clear there is a pathway into the first team for him.
The sales of Sepp van den Berg to Brentford 12 months ago and Jarell Quansah this summer to Bayer Leverkusen (Liverpool have a buy-back clause which also includes a pre-agreed contract should he return), together with the permanent departure of Nat Phillips to West Bromwich Albion, means there is a route into Arne Slot’s plans for Leoni.
Matches in the Carabao Cup should provide an initial gateway, while the Champions League draw may also present the chance to showcase his athleticism and reading of the game.
Given the club captain, Virgil van Dijk, will be 36 when his contract expires, Liverpool have made succession planning at centre half a priority.
Yet Leoni is viewed as someone for today and tomorrow.
That was important for a player whose promise in playing 17 games for Parma in 2024-25 means there is a clamour within Italy for him to be named in Gennaro Gattuso’s squad for next month’s World Cup qualifiers with Estonia and Israel.
With the pressing need for another young centre back realised, Slot now has what Liverpool believe are four high-calibre options at centre back: Leoni, Joe Gomez, who is fit again after an achilles issue, Ibrahima Konaté, who remains in talks with the club over a new deal, and Van Dijk.
Interest in Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi is clear. There were talks between the Liverpool sporting director, Richard Hughes, and the Palace chairman, Steve Parish, at the start of the week regarding a deal for a player whom Liverpool value at about £35million given he has entered the final year of his contract.
Parish would like more, but has already conceded that not selling the England international in this window, and losing him on a free transfer next summer, would create a problem for the FA Cup winners.
That Guéhi wants to move to Merseyside would appear to complicate Parish’s hand, and Liverpool, forever seeking a “market opportunity”, will not pay what they deem to be over the odds now when they can sign him for nothing at the end of the season. Especially as, with Leoni on board, they have depth at centre back once again.
