The standout young talent was expected to sign for Juventus and arrives from Serie A in a £26M transfer deal.
Liverpool Unveil New Signing Giovanni Leoni
Liverpool have moved quickly this week to shore up their defensive depth chart ahead of the 2025-26 season and today officially completed the signing of Parma rising star Giovanni Leoni, an 18-year-old centre half who played over 1,000 Serie A minutes last season and is widely seen as one of Italy’s top young talents.
A base fee of £26M plus unspecified add-ons was agreed between the clubs earlier in the week, with the player then travelling to Merseyside to undergo his medical on Thursday. Having successfully completed that, he has now put pen to paper, officially completing the transfer and being unveiled as the Reds’ newest signing.
”Because it’s one of the best clubs in the world it’s not possible to say no to this club,” Leoni said of his decision to make the move to the Premier League now with Liverpool despite widespread reports earlier in the summer that had him rejecting both Newcastle and Manchester United in favour of staying in Serie A.
The consensus in Italy was that he was that Leoni was a lock to join Juventus, if not this summer than in a season or two. Signing for Liverpool now, just before the start of the season, means that he will qualify as a homegrown and club trained player in three years—though he will need to be registered in Europe before then.
Leoni will wear the number 15 for the Reds, with the player saying he “chose the number because when I debuted as a pro I had this and I want to keep it with me.” Previously, the number has been worn by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Daniel Sturridge, Jamie Redknapp, Patrik Berger, Yossi Benayoun, and Peter Crouch.
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