Liverpool are one step away from signing Giovanni Leoni from Parma after reaching an agreement with the young defender.
Mirror Football reported on Tuesday that the Reds want to sign Leoni and Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi to bolster their defence. The £35million sale of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen has left Arne Slot short in central defence, with the injured Joe Gomez the most senior back up to Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
Both Slot and Van Dijk identified the defence as the weakest aspect of the side after their defeat on penalties by Crystal Palace in the Community Shield. Liverpool have already spent over £300m to bring in Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Armin Pesci and Freddie Woodman this summer but are not stopping there.
Leoni has caught the eye of Liverpool’s scouts while playing for Parma and negotiations have gone smoothly since their approach. Sky Sports Germany says that there is now a full verbal agreement between the 18-year-old and the Reds over personal terms.
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Liverpool now need to speak with Parma about a transfer fee, but according to talkSPORT, they are not anticipating any difficulties. Despite being under contract with the Italian side until June 2029, Leoni is expected to cost around £30m.
He comes highly recommended, with Liverpool receiving a glowing endorsement from Arrigo Sacchi. “We'll see if the deal goes through, but in any case, I'd say the Reds would be making a great move by signing this young man, whom I followed with interest and curiosity in the second half of last season,” the legendary manager wrote in Gazzetta Dello Sport. “I'm convinced he'll be the lynchpin of the Azzurri defence for a long time.”
Leoni has represented Italy under-19s, but only has 17 appearances and one goal for Parma – all of which came last season. Sacchi, who managed AC Milan and Italy during a successful career as a coach, is convinced that Liverpool are getting a bargain, despite his lack of experience.
“Some, regarding a possible transfer to Liverpool, object that this young man has only made 17 Serie A appearances so far. Aren't those few? No, I reply. Not few, because on those occasions Leoni has demonstrated the qualities needed to go far.
“If someone is good, if someone has their head in the right place, it's immediately obvious. A person can have 200 Serie A games under their belts and still not possess the qualities Leoni displayed in his first season as an adult. Talent knows no age.
“Let's also give him the opportunity to make mistakes. At eighteen, some mistakes are expected and can be forgiven. And in any case, Leoni won't make many. He's a tough guy who's already learned the fundamental lesson, keep your head down and work hard.”
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