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Liverpool is on the brink of securing a deal for Parma's young defender, Giovanni Leoni. It seems the Reds have overcome its main challenge in signing him.
Mirror Football reported on Tuesday that the Reds are keen to sign both Leoni and Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi to bolster their defense. The £35 million ($47.50 million) sale of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen has left Arne Slot short in central defense, with recently injured Joe Gomez being the most experienced backup to Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
Both Slot and Van Dijk pinpointed the defense as the team's weakest link following their penalty shootout defeat to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield. Liverpool has already splashed out more than $400M this summer to bring in Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Armin Pesci and Freddie Woodman, but they're not stopping there.
Leoni impressed Liverpool's scouts during his time at Parma, and negotiations have been progressing smoothly since their initial approach. Sky Sports Germany reports that a full verbal agreement regarding personal terms is now in place between the 18-year-old and the Reds.
Liverpool now needs to negotiate a transfer fee with Parma, but according to talkSPORT, they don't foresee any issues. Despite being under contract with the Italian side until June 2029, Leoni is expected to cost around £30M ($40.7M).
He arrives with strong backing, as Liverpool has received a ringing 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 defense for a long time."
Leoni has featured for Italy under-19s, though he boasts just 17 appearances and one goal for Parma – all coming during the previous campaign. Sacchi, who guided AC Milan and Italy through a distinguished coaching career, remains adamant that Liverpool would be securing exceptional value, regardless of his limited first-team exposure.
"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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