Liverpool have completed the signing of young talented centre back Giovanni Leoni from Parma, MySportDab reports.
The Reds, who have been on a spending spree this summer, have signed the 18-year-old for a reported fee of €35 million according to Fabrizio Romano.
Parma have also inserted a sell-on clause as the player is expected to fly to Merseyside for his medical and contract signing today. But who is Giovanni Leoni?
Giovanni Leoni (born 21 December 2006) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Serie A club Parma.
Leoni was born in Rome and moved to Padua at the age of 5. He began playing football with Vigontina before moving to Cittadella, and later to Padova.
He made his senior and professional debut with Padova as a late substitute in a 3–2 Serie C win over Albino Leffe on 19 March 2023 at the age of 16 years. This early appearance in elite football made him the youngest professional footballer in Italy that season.
On 1 February 2024, he joined Sampdoria on loan until June 2026 with an option to buy for €1.5 million. On 25 June 2024, Leoni signed a three-year contract with Sampdoria. He went on to make 12 appearances for Sampdoria, scoring once and receiving two yellow cards.
On 27 August 2024, Leoni moved to Parma where he made 17 appearances, scoring once. He also received three yellow cards and one red card once before making the switch to England heavyweights, Liverpool.
Leoni is a youth international for Italy, having been called up to the U17s in March 2024. He was also called up to the Italy U18 and U19 national teams in that same year, making one and seven appearances respectively.
He is known for his strength and technical abilities in the defence and is likely to prove a big addition to the Reds’ defensive options.
