'This guy has become a beast': Arne Slot blown away by Liverpool player's physical transformation

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Liverpool supporters have had to be patient to get a second glimpse of Giovanni Leoni after a promising debut for the Reds.Having stepped in and looked incredibly comfortable during his first appearance after signing from Parma last summer, the young Italian succumbed to a devastating knee injury.Leoni’s problem has had an unexpectedly big impact on Liverpool‘s season, with Arne Slot unable to rotate his regular centre-backs as a result.The 19-year-old will return this summer, though, and after Slot let slip that Leoni has ‘become a beast’ during his time away, he looks set to pick up where he left off and continue his trajectory as one of the most exciting young defenders in Europe. With Arne Slot expected to stay, will Liverpool challenge for the Premier League next season?

Or will it be another difficult campaign? 😬 Photo Credit: Getty Images/Carl Recine Leoni has ‘become a beast’ – SlotThe most striking thing about Leoni has always been his sheer size. Standing at around 6 feet 5 inches, the teenager may yet grow to be even taller.Built like an old-school Italian centre-back, Leoni clearly does not have an issue with physicality.But though he was a big specimen even before joining Liverpool, Slot has claimed that the former Parma man is now noticeably bigger.READ MORE: Arne Slot predicts how good ‘talented’ Armin Pecsi could become at Liverpool amid Alisson exit rumoursPhoto by Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar Via Getty ImagesThe comment came when the Dutch coach was asked about Hugo Ekitike’s recovery from his Achilles rupture during his pre-Crystal Palace press conference on Friday.Backing Ekitike to make the most of his rehab and keep himself in good shape, Slot then threw in an interesting comment about Leoni.“He [Ekitike] will be back stronger, as well as the others who have been injured for such a long time,” he said.

“If you look at Giovanni Leoni, I don’t know if you once in a while see some Instagram posts of the club, but this guy has become a beast!”Leoni can still become a starter for LiverpoolAs cruel as Leoni’s debut injury was, there should be hope that the Italian can recover and still fulfil his potential.He obviously has a very good stature, and his youthfulness should mean that he is able to bounce back from such a long time away without too much trouble. Who should Slot start up front against Crystal Palace? 🤔 Credit: James Gill/Danehouse/Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto/Getty Images Alongside Jeremy Jacquet, Liverpool seem to think that Leoni could form one half of their next long-term centre-back partnership, and that is a very exciting prospect.Slot clearly rates him very highly indeed, and with Leoni likely to get a full pre-season under his belt, he should be ready to go next term.His recovery appears to have gone as planned, and though he would have obviously preferred to have been playing, Leoni has at least had a full year to settle into life at Liverpool away from the spotlight.Next season promising to be a big one for him, and having been robbed of watching him develop with the Reds, fans should be excited at the prospect of seeing Leoni return.