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New Liverpool signing Giovanni Leoni will wear the number 15 shirt(Image: Photo by Ivan Romano/Getty Images)

New Liverpool signing Giovanni Leoni will wear the number 15 shirt after the Reds completed a £26 million move for the defender.

The Italian becomes the latest arrival on Merseyside during a busy summer for the Premier League champions.

The Parma youngster's move means that Liverpool's summer spending has now topped £300million as he joins Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong through the door.



Arne Slot's side beat the likes of Inter Milan to his signature after it was considered that new boss Cristian Chivu would take the central defender to the San Siro after leaving i Crociati.

Leoni will pose as an immediate competition for a starting berth within the Dutchman's squad with Liverpool considering the defender as a rival to the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate.

READ MORE:Liverpool complete £26m Giovanni Leoni transfer as summer spending rockets past £300mREAD MORE:Liverpool closing in on £25m transfer deal as Arne Slot revamp continues

The arrival of the teen showcases the next phase of this current Liverpool side as the Reds look to energise their defensive positions with younger, fresher blood, as they have done with midfield and attacking areas in previous years.

The defender has signed a six-year deal, until 2031, and will be at Anfield for the Premier League curtain-raiser against Bournemouth.

Leoni becomes the latest Italian to join the club, following Federico Chiesa's move from Juventus last summer.

A closer look will also be taken at the players expected to make their mark for the Reds in 2023/24, in addition to a club-by-club guide to the other 19 Premier League teams.

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I’m very happy."

Leoni will become the first player to wear the number 15 squad number since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's departure in 2023.

The 18-year-old explained: "I chose the number 15 because when I debuted as a pro I had this and I want to keep it with me."

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