Liverpool missed out on Marc Guehi on transfer deadline day, but Arne Slot has an exciting talent at his disposal in Giovanni Leoni.
Liverpool experienced delight and disappointment on transfer deadline day.
Alexander Isak finally completed his move to Liverpool in the final hours of the window, bringing an end to quite the transfer saga.
Isak is on board, but Liverpool missed out on signing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.
The Eagles defender looked set for a move to Anfield, but Oliver Glasner stood firm and blocked the move.
Giovanni Leoni applauds Parma fans against Internazionale
Photo by Luca Amedeo Bizzarri/Getty Images
Parma chief makes Giovanni Leoni to Liverpool claim
Liverpool eyed Guehi to offer strong competition for Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate in the heart of their back four.
Guehi could still end up at Anfield in 2026, but Arne Slot must press on with his current defensive options.
That includes new Liverpool signing Giovanni Leoni, who joined the Reds from Italian side Parma in August.
The 18-year-old has shown major potential in Italy, and Liverpool may well call on him, having missed out on Guehi.
Parma chief executive Federico Cherubini has now told Gazzetta di Parma that he never wanted to sell Leoni this summer.
In fact, Parma even rejected an offer from Newcastle United for Leoni – and the Magpies offered a better deal than Liverpool.
Cherubini didn’t budge when Newcastle made their bid, but Leoni was very interested in signing for Liverpool.
Cherubini accepted a lesser bid from Liverpool, leaving him with mixed views on the defender’s departure after just one year at Parma.
“I’ve always said that the club, along with the owners, wanted to keep Giovanni, and he’s always said he’d be happy to stay,” said Cherubini, as quoted by Parma Live.
“We even turned down an offer from Newcastle, which was more advantageous than the one Liverpool eventually made. When the Reds came forward, our plans changed: both because the offer was very attractive and because Giovanni made it clear he was very happy to take advantage of this opportunity.
“On the one hand, it’s obviously disappointing to have lost such a promising player, but on the other, there’s pride in a club like ours and recognition for those who believed in this boy in unsuspecting times, when he’d only played a few games in Serie B,” he added.
Liverpool will be delighted with triple success over Newcastle United
The Isak saga means tensions between Liverpool and Newcastle have certainly risen.
The two sides met in August, and St James’ Park was an absolute cauldron as Magpies fans created a hostile atmosphere.
Much of the increased rivalry is down to Isak, who has effectively forced his way out of Newcastle in order to join Liverpool.
Newcastle also wanted Hugo Ekitike, though, and the Frenchman also ended up at Liverpool.
Add in Leoni, and Liverpool will feel that they have secured three transfer wins over the Magpies this summer.
Gennaro Gattuso has praised Leoni, and he may be one for the future, but Liverpool will certainly believe in his potential to become a Premier League star after fending off Newcastle for his signature.