Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that the club has reached an agreement with Parma to sign 18-year-old centre-back Giovanni Leoni.
The Premier League champions will reportedly pay £26 million ($35 million) for the highly-rated prospect, who has made just 17 Serie A appearances for the Italian side.
The move comes as Liverpool look to reinforce their defence following Jarell Quansah’s transfer to Bayer Leverkusen. Joe Gomez’s injury struggles and uncertainty over Ibrahima Konate’s future — with just a year left on his contract — have left Slot with limited options at the back.
“The clubs have agreed a deal but he hasn’t signed for us yet. The moment when he signs for us I can go into more detail,” Slot told reporters ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth on Friday.
Despite Leoni’s imminent arrival, Liverpool remain linked with Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi as the Reds prepare for a challenging title defence. They have not won consecutive league titles since 1984.
This summer, the Anfield club have spent £260 million on Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. Wirtz’s fee from Bayer Leverkusen could rise to a British record £116 million, but Slot believes the German international has the mentality to thrive under the weight of expectation.
“Good players always find a way to play well in good teams,” Slot said. “He has to adjust to England, the league and the intensity, and his adjustment has already gone quite well, more than we expected.”
Liverpool’s preparations for the new campaign have been overshadowed by the loss of several key players — including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Caoimhin Kelleher — and the tragic death of forward Diogo Jota in a car accident last month.
