Liverpool still have work to do in the transfer market this summer, with centre-back one area in need of strengthening.

The Reds sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month, leaving them with only three senior central defenders heading into the new season.

As Liverpool have found out in the past, that is certainly not enough to compete on four fronts.



Consequently, a new arrival is expected.

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Marc Guehi has been heavily linked, but with Crystal Palace unwilling to budge on their valuation, Rousing The Kop understands the 24-year-old is more likely to arrive at Anfield on a free transfer in 2026.

Instead, Liverpool are expected to target a younger defender who can come in as back-up to Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

Parma’s Giovanni Leoni has emerged as an option in that respect, and RTK transfer expert Graeme Bailey says the 18-year-old is one to watch this summer.

Having joined from second division Sampdoria in 2024, he played 17 times as Cristian Chivu’s team finished 16th.

His impressive performances have caught the eye of plenty of teams across Europe, and Bailey confirms that Liverpool are one of them.

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“I do believe he is one on Liverpool’s radar, they’ve seen him and have been impressed by him,” says the journalist.

“But he’s got an awful lot of interest.

There’s a lot of Premier League clubs who like this boy an awful lot.”

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“I spoke to a few Italian sources while doing work on Suzuki, the goalkeeper, and my contacts were saying ‘the one at Parma who’s really getting interest and could move is Leoni.’ Clubs are looking at him as being a Huijsen-esque type defender, and Liverpool have watched him.”

However, with Leoni having only just made an impact in the first team, Bailey says it remains to be seen whether a transfer is plausible.

From what I’m hearing he’s also not the sort of person who’d want to sit on the bench for a season, I think he’d rather stay at Parma for another year and play.”

As Liverpool weigh up their chances of signing Leoni this summer, RTK understands the trail has started to go a little cold on Guehi.

Palace have so far shown no indication of coming down on their £45-50m valuation, and Liverpool are unwilling to pay so much for a player they could sign for nothing in 12 months.

Although it is understood that the transfer is not completely impossible, there would have to be a drastic change in the coming weeks for a move to take place.

Instead, Liverpool are assessing plenty of other options in the market, and the belief is that at least one new defender will be signed ahead of the new campaign.
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