Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net

Aug 15, 2025, 12:31 PM ET

After investing heavily in dramatically revamping their attack, Liverpool have bolstered their defensive line with the £26 million signing of centre-back Giovanni Leoni from Serie A side Parma. At just 18 years of age, the Italy youth international is still just dipping his toes in the pool of top-level senior football, but the Reds have seen enough from 14 league starts to sanction a quick move.

Leoni began the 2024-25 campaign on the bench, but by Christmas he'd gained a foothold in the first team. Then, over the course of the second half of the season, he helped firm up the defence and convert losses to draws -- enough of them to keep the Crociati safe from relegation.

So with his Premier League switch confirmed, how did Liverpool pick their target and what will Leoni bring to the defending champions?



How Liverpool identified, and signed, Leoni

For years, signing a promising young central defender has ranked highly on Liverpool's list of priorities. Last summer, the Anfield club were interested in signing Lille's Leny Yoro before he eventually joined Manchester United. They were also admirers of Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen, who made a £50m move to Real Madrid earlier this summer.

In just 17 Serie A appearances for Parma last term, Leoni established himself as one of Italian football's most exciting young talents and fits the profile the Premier League champions have been looking for. He is understandably far from the finished article, but Liverpool are confident the 6-foot-4 defender has all the physical attributes required to develop into a world-class centre-back, particularly with the opportunity to learn from his idol Virgil van Dijk.

- ESPN's writers predict the 2025-26 European season
- Why everyone is talking about Rio Ngumoha, 16
- O'Hanlon: Why Liverpool are spending big after winning Premier League

Having made his breakthrough for Parma under manager Christian Chivu during the second half of last season, there had been talk of Leoni following his head coach to Inter Milan this summer. However, Liverpool -- aided by sporting director Richard Hughes' extensive contacts in Italy -- were able to move quickly to get a deal over the line, with sources telling ESPN the player was adamant on a transfer to Anfield despite interest from several clubs in his home country and elsewhere in the Premier League.

There had been some suggestion that Liverpool might look to loan out Leoni this season, though this idea has quickly been dismissed by the club's hierarchy. Despite Liverpool still pursuing a deal for England international defender Marc Guéhi, Leoni is set to join Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté and Joe Gomez as one of manager Arne Slot's first-team centre-back options for the upcoming campaign. -- Beth Lindop

What Leoni brings to Liverpool

Leoni's sheer size and strength belies his tender age. He may still be a teenager, but he cuts a hulking figure on the pitch and his shoulders seem like they're made of steel. He clearly relishes physical duels with equally powerful forwards, too; during the final stretch of the season, he physically dominated Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic en route to a vital 1-0 win, while he also stood up brilliantly to Romelu Lukaku in a 0-0 draw with Napoli, going as far as man-marking him for spells and literally following him around the pitch.

This ability to handle strong No. 9s is by far his standout trait. He's aggressive on the ground and strong in the air -- his 63% aerial win rate in Serie A last season was among the best -- and he thrives defending the box, already showing good awareness for where crosses and cut-backs may land.

Leoni is a ultimately a prospect for the future, but the young defender showed in Serie A last season that he can be an immediate contributor to Liverpool's first team. Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Leoni is versatile within his position, able to play as the right- or left-sided centre back in a back four, or really anywhere across the line in a back three.

Again, that could have been by design but given he's joined an elite, ball-dominant team, it's worth noting that he ranked in the first (i.e. lowest) percentile in Serie A for ball-carrying and just the sixth percentile for progressive passing.

-- Sam Tighe

How Leoni will fit at Liverpool

To have any chance of success as a centre-back in the Premier League these days, you're probably going to have to be big and strong.

Look at the physical build of the defensive corps that Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool have assembled, for example; Leoni clearly ticks that box.

He will be well-suited to the titanic battle that now takes place at set pieces, no matter the opponent, and a good fit when it comes to battling the influx of really physical strikers we're seeing in the Premier League.

However, there may be a small concern over the fact that while Leoni should grow into a powerful player, he lacks the sort of top-end speed and mobility many of the best centre-backs possess.

According to Gradient, his maximum speed topped out at 31.82 km/h last season, just 54th among Serie A centre-backs who played 900 minutes or more.
For more news relating to Arsenal, visit our sister site AFC Latest Live.