Liverpool have confirmed the signing of 18-year-old Italian centre-back Giovanni Leoni from Serie A side Parma for a £26 million fee, marking a significant investment to strengthen their defensive line after a substantial summer spent revamping their attacking options.

Leoni, an Italy youth international, started the 2024-25 season mostly on Parma's bench but established himself as a key player by mid-season. Over 14 league starts, he contributed to stabilizing Parma's defense, helping them convert potential losses into draws, which was crucial in ensuring their survival in Serie A.

The Liverpool recruitment team prioritized young, promising central defenders during the transfer window. Previous targets included Lille's Leny Yoro and Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen, who eventually moved to Manchester United and Real Madrid respectively. Leoni stood out for his defensive capabilities despite some limitations in pace and agility, traits considered critical given Liverpool's full-backs tend to play very attackingly, necessitating centre-backs with excellent recovery speed.

Although Leoni is not the fastest over short distances and lacks fluidity in changing direction or deceleration, Liverpool coaches believe these physical aspects can be improved through focused training, playing alongside higher-quality teammates, and adapting to a more expansive playing style. His experience battling relegation with Parma has also revealed promising on-the-ball skills and game intelligence that Liverpool expects will develop further.

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This signing is part of Liverpool’s broader strategy to balance their squad dynamically, pairing youthful defensive talent with their established attacking corps. The £26 million acquisition takes Liverpool's total summer transfer expenditure to over £300 million, underlining their ambition to maintain competitiveness at the highest level.

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