Liverpool are close to completing the signing of centre-back Giovanni Leoni from Parma.

The Reds have had a clear plan this summer; identify an area of weakness and sort it out as soon as possible.

They have kept this trend up by now closing in on a new defender, with this position of the pitch looking rather weak throughout pre-season.

18-year-old Leoni is the player they believe can help fill the void, with the Italian set for his medical on Thursday ahead of his transfer, which will cost just an initial fee of £26m.

Liverpool face Giovanni Leoni race against time as key transfer deadline nears	Liverpool could sign Marc Guehi AND Giovanni Leoni before transfer window closes	Liverpool facing unexpected challenge in Giovanni Leoni move as transfer talks rumble on

The youngster is very highly-rated in Italy and was a top target for many clubs, with Liverpool looking like they have beaten off stiff competition to sign him.

And, to get him, they may have just deployed their own secret weapon, with this said to be key in why Leoni has decided to make the switch to Anfield.

Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

This summer there seems to have been a bit of a trend as Liverpool keep signing top talent and then the reasoning behind getting them seems to come back to one man, Richard Hughes.

The sporting director came under some criticism last summer after failing to sign anyone of note, but this transfer window has seen him receive a flood of apologies from Reds supporters.

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And, Hughes has pulled off another genius move, with the former Bournemouth man using his Italian roots to help get the deal over the line.

According to journalist Lewis Steele, Hughes used his extensive network of contacts in Serie A and the fact he can speak fluent Italian to ensure he beat off competition.

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He grew up in Italy and was actually a footballer himself, starting his career in the academy of Atalanta.

Without Hughes, Liverpool may never have got this deal over the line, a sentence that could have been said countless times over the summer already.

Although Hughes has done a phenomenal job so far, it is not over yet as he still has a few more signings to try and bring into the club.

The obvious one is Alexander Isak, but Liverpool do also still want another centre-back and preferably one with experience, with Marc Guehi the priority according to journalist Florian Plettenberg.

Right now, both the Reds and Crystal Palace are a little far apart in terms of valuation for the player, although personal terms will likely not be an issue.

There is just over two weeks left of the transfer window and if the rumours are anything to go by, it will be just as busy at the end as it was at the start for Liverpool.