Report: Arne Slot has now decided he's going to give 18-year-old Liverpool youngster his debut in the League Cup
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Liverpool are not short of talented youth players who are looking to earn their place in the starting XI.
Arne Slot’s team have already enjoyed the fruits of their academy prospects with the most recent showing from the 17-year-old sensation Rio Ngumoha, who scored the winning goal against Newcastle United in a 3-2 thriller, just a taste of what is to come.
They have some other talents who could feature later on in the season in cup games, with the likes of Jayden Danns ready to come back into the side in some capacity.
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But there is one young player from the Reds’ summer haul who has not had his chance to make his mark with the fans.
Giovanni Leoni has yet to start for the Reds this season after joining the club from Parma for £26 million in the summer.
While the young Italian defender looks to be a great decision from the transfer department, given his size and qualities at the back, he has been snubbed for a second time by his national team boss, with the 18-year-old not featuring in the matchday squad.
It is not too much of a worry, given the centre-half still has a long time to develop, but it is frustrating for him, and it affects his match sharpness as he prepares to start his first game for his new side.
He does have stiff competition in the backline, as Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez, when all fit, are hard to displace.
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However, that is where the cup competitions come in handy for young investments, such as the Italian, who is ready to get stuck into life at Anfield with his first home game in the Carabao Cup.
Liverpool are set to host Southampton in the competition’s third round on 23 September, with The Telegraph reporting the club have ‘pencilled in’ his start for that game.
It is a great step in the youngster’s career, giving him his first taste of English football against a club who were relegated from the league last season.
This competition has allowed the Redmen to showcase their incredible youth players, with the memorable League Cup final win in Jurgen Klopp’s last season at the club — featuring an array of academy prospects — being one of the great moments for the club’s youth sector.
There are many reasons to be excited about this talent, but none more so than what he can offer in the aerial department for the defensive line.
Before joining the Premier League champions, his aerial win rate in Serie A was among the best at 63%.
Since the arrival of the Dutch coach, he has been able to transform Liverpool’s set-piece defence into one of the best in the league.
The decision to go for Leoni makes all the sense in the world when you consider his record in the air, and it will help him go far in this new-look squad.