Liverpool have reportedly “watched” a centre-back who has been described as an “MVP” for his club in the past, with the Reds considering him an alternative to Marc Guehi.
With Jarell Quansah no longer a Liverpool player, following his move to Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer, a new central defence is required for the Premier League champions.
Guegi has emerged as an expensive upgrade on Quansah, ahead of a potential exit from Crystal Palace before the 2025/26 Premier League season gets underway, but now a younger option has been thrown into the mix.
According to the reliable David Lynch on Substack [via This Is Anfield], Liverpool have watched Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni, as well as Wolfsburg’s Konstantinos Koulierakis.
The Reds like the idea of signing a “young centre-back with room to grow”, and Leoni would fall into that bracket.
An exciting young option for Liverpool
Leoni looks like a defender with massive potential moving forward, having already made a total of 17 appearances for Parma at the age of just 18.
He has represented both Italy’s Under-19s and Under-18s, featuring eight times, while former Parma head coach Christian Chivu has shown his appreciation for him in the past, saying:
“Leoni, like the whole team, must keep his feet on the ground and continue to work. Today he played a great game, he doesn’t seem so young, but he has significant room for improvement. He deserves the compliments and the MVP award but I have to be the coach and I will also point out the mistakes he made”.
While Guehi would arguably still be the ideal addition for Liverpool, he will cost a huge amount of money and would have to accept playing second fiddle to Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, assuming they both stay fit.
In comparison, Leoni would surely be happier to come in as a squad player, earning minutes in lesser competitions and gradually becoming more of a key figure as time passes.
He can be a future Italy international at senior level and could learn so much from playing alongside one of the greatest centre-backs of all time in Van Dijk.