Giovanni Leoni reveals how close he came to snubbing Liverpool transfer - 'I have to say'

The Italian defender, who is set to miss the rest of the season through injury, was linked with a summer move to Serie A's biggest clubs, but chose to join Liverpool

Giovanni Leoni has revealed he was not close to joining any Serie A sides in the summer

Giovanni Leoni has revealed he was not in talks with any Italian teams last summer, despite being linked with a move to several Serie A sides.

Leoni, who suffered a season-ending injury on his Liverpool debut in September, joined the Reds ahead of the 2025/26 season, signing for an initial £26 million ($35M) from Parma. The teenager was in hot demand over the summer and is widely regarded as one of the world’s most promising young center-backs.

AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus were among those clubs mentioned in the transfer rumors, but when Leoni decided to leave Parma, he opted against remaining in his native Italy. Speaking in a recent interview, he revealed that never looked likely.

“No, there's never been anything concrete with any Italian club,” Leoni told Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Sure, when there's interest, you think about it, but there wasn't one team that was closer than the others. I didn't set any goals, I just wanted to see what would happen day by day.”

The defender also revealed how he was immediately convinced to join the reigning Premier League champions when their interest became apparent.

Leoni joined Liverpool last summer(Image: Getty Images)

“When a team like Liverpool calls you, it's hard not to look at them differently,” he said. “I have to say that every day I believe the Premier League was the best choice; I've had the support and affection of my teammates.

“On TV, you wonder what they'll be like, but then you get to know them and realize they're just normal people.”

Asked about his new team-mates, Leoni added: “Technically, they're almost all monsters; they never lift the ball an inch, and if they do, they apologize.

“Virgil van Dijk was the player I looked up to. [Dominik] Szoboszlai has a style of football I've never seen before. [Mohamed] Salah is incredible in the way he prepares physically during the week; he's always one of the first to arrive, he recovers, he's obsessed.”

Leoni suffered a season-ending knee injury in September(Image: Getty Images)

Leoni also revealed in the interview that he is now undergoing rehab on the ACL injury he suffered against Southampton, and claimed the “hardest part is over now”.

Reflecting on that devastating injury blow, Leoni said: “As soon as I hit the ground, I told Conor Bradley, my teammate: 'I tore my cruciate ligament.'

“It had never happened to me before, but it was a strange feeling, I thought, 'That's it, period.' It was a huge, intense pain, the strongest I've ever felt in my life.”