Liverpool inflicted third Newcastle transfer blow
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Parma have confirmed that Liverpool pipped Newcastle to Giovanni Leoni.
Relations between the Premier League clubs became strained during the summer transfer window as the saga of Alexander Isak’s future rumbled on.
In addition to signing the Swede for a British transfer record, Arne Slot’s side also battled the Magpies in the market by outbidding them for Hugo Ekitike.
But Parma CEO Federico Cherubini has now revealed the Reds managed to get the better of their North East counterparts twice with the signing of Leoni.
“We rejected a higher offer from Newcastle for Leoni,” he told Gazzetta di Parma.
“But plans have changed with Liverpool.
I’ve always said the club wanted to keep Giovanni, and he’s always said he’d be happy to stay.
“We even turned down an offer from Newcastle, which was more advantageous than the one Liverpool eventually made.
“When The Reds came forward, our plans changed: both because the offer was very attractive and because Giovanni made it clear he was very happy to take advantage of this opportunity.
“On the one hand, it’s obviously disappointing to have lost such a promising player, but on the other, there’s pride in a club like ours and recognition for those who believed in this boy in unsuspecting times, when he’d only played a few games in Serie B.”