Liverpool are signing Italian heart again Giovanni Leoni from Parma. The charge for the 18-year-old is round $30 million and his youth, and newness to the higher echelons of the sport imply that his title is likely to be new for a lot of followers.
The Reds have been on the lookout for a younger proficient defender who might be a part of the defensive position led by group captain Virgil van Dijk. Leoni, who will flip 19 on the finish of the present yr, is taken into account among the many finest abilities round Europe but in addition solely performed 17 matches within the first tier of Italian soccer final season at Parma, the place he turned a key participant within the final a part of the season when the present Inter coach Cristian Chivu took cost of the Crociati, main the group to keep away from the relegation. There are numerous questions round Leoni and why Liverpool determined to signal him this summer season. Nonetheless, whereas from one facet this signing is displaying as soon as once more the monetary potential of the Premier League groups, it raises extra questions on how the Italian golf equipment work and the way they have a tendency to not make investments on the home gamers even when their potential was beneath the eyes of everybody, because it occurred once more with Leoni this summer season.
Who’s Giovanni Leoni?
Leoni was born in Rome on December 21, 2006 and began his soccer profession within the youth sector of Padova the place he made his skilled debut throughout the 2022-23 season within the Italian third division (Serie C) after which moved to Sampdoria in January 2024 the place he began taking part in beneath supervisor Andrea Pirlo within the second division, making him a starter in his group earlier than the membership bought him to Parma in the summertime 2024 for round $5 million. On November 2024, beneath former Parma supervisor Fabio Pecchia, Leoni performed his first Serie A match, however then turned an important participant beneath Chivu within the second a part of the season, when he confirmed some unbelievable performances towards the massive groups and skilled strikers, such because the 2-2 draw towards Lautaro Martinez’s Inter, the 1-0 win towards Dusan Vlahovic’ Juventus and the 0-0 attract Parma towards Napoli and Romelu Lukaku. As Leoni’s performances improved, these matches caught the eye of huge groups round Europe as he was in a position to defend towards the celebs of Italian soccer.
Leoni’s passing proficiency was excellent in his first Serie A season, as he averaged 46.3 passes per 90 minutes in Serie A final season with an 88.7% go success price, rating third amongst Parma gamers with over ten matches performed. He can even play with each ft, and may play from behind as properly just like the defenders of Arne Slot’s group are sometimes requested to do. His areal duel numbers are additionally unbelievable, as he gained 63% within the league, the best amongst U-20 gamers in Europe’s prime 5 leagues final season.
Leoni confirmed he was in a position to enhance recreation after recreation, as his former coach Chivu underlined just lately when he was requested about attainable curiosity coming from Inter this summer season. Talking about him and Inter striker Francesco Pio Esposito, Chivu stated, “On a human degree, they’re each unbelievable. For my part, they will be the way forward for Italian soccer, and I believe you journalists will take pleasure in watching them within the Italian nationwide group for a very long time. For a few years, they will characterize the Italian nationwide soccer group.”
Liverpool wanted a participant like him to permit Slot to have extra rotation within the protection, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate anticipated to be the beginning gamers, Joe Gomez’s accidents and the departure of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool wanted a younger proficient participant for his or her defensive roster and Leoni was in all probability the best choice they might discover, even when they needed to spend greater than $30 million to signal what could possibly be the
Who needed to signal him this summer season?
There may be additionally a query of why the massive Italian golf equipment weren’t keen to pay $30 million to signal Leoni this summer season. To start with, it is clear that the transfer to Liverpool to play beneath Slot is his first alternative, and he most popular it to another Italian membership. Even so, regardless of the curiosity coming from Juventus, AC Milan and Inter, none of them actually pushed to signal him this summer season. As soon as once more, Italian golf equipment have demonstrated a reluctance to spend money on younger Italian expertise, opting as a substitute to allocate their budgets for extra skilled gamers, typically overlooking promising prospects in favor of short-term choices. The 2 Milan groups particularly confirmed this over the previous couple of weeks. AC Milan wanted a middle again to switch Malick Thiaw who joined Newcastle, whereas Inter are beginning the 2025-26 season with the identical 33-year outdated Stefan de Vrij and Francesco Acerbi who will flip 38 subsequent yr. So each groups wanted a bew younger defender for various causes, however neither of them was keen to spend what Parma have been asking to promote Leoni.
It is tough to say whether or not this determination is only from monetary causes, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly a blow for Italian soccer to lose one other younger expertise overseas. Hopefully, Leoni will use this chance to develop into a key participant for the Italian nationwide group, rising into a fair stronger participant by competing with the 2024-25 Premier League champions.
