Giovanni Leoni's debut for Liverpool will be remembered as a sad episode for the player. The 18-year-old Italian jewel saw his first chance with the Reds turn into a possible farewell to the 2025-26 season, after a cruciate ligament injury in the match against Southampton in the EFL Cup.
The serious injury is a cause for concern at Anfield. With a sector affected by injuries and the sale of Quansah to Leverkusen, Liverpool attempted to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace and the England national team, but negotiations for the defender did not reach a happy conclusion in the last window.
Will Liverpool Change Course in the Window?
Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool in action on August 25, 2025
In this scenario, the Reds' strategy in the market could disrupt Real Madrid's plans, particularly considering the delicate situation surrounding the future of Ibrahima Konate, whose contract with the English club expires in June 2026. A starter, but with several physical problems, he was one of the main targets for Los Blancos in the last transfer window.
The defender and the English club are living through an impasse after the player requested a 185% increase to renew his contract with Liverpool, going from a salary of £72,500 to £170,500 per week, according to "Bild" newspaper.
Previously, the club had offered two other contract extension offers, but had planned not to play hardball to release the player if negotiations did not progress For Real Madrid, the opportunity was seen as positive, being able to have the player at zero cost at the end of the contract between Konate and Liverpool.
According to Marca, Liverpool sent a clear message after losing Alexander-Arnold: they will not prioritise financial gain to the detriment of sporting success, especially when it comes to a key player like Konate.
Therefore, with the changes in the Anfield scenario, if Real Madrid were planning an offer for the French defender, negotiations should become complicated.
Who is Giovanni Leoni, Promise of Italian Football
Liverpool's Giovanni Leoni pictured on September 23, 2025
Giovanni Leoni arrived in England for the start of the season for around £29.9m, as one of the most promising defenders in Italian football, after his rise at Parma.
At 18 years old, the player has a contract with Liverpool until June 2031 after the Reds won a dispute with Inter and AC Milan. The defender caught attention for his ability to read the game and knows how to exploit his nearly two metres in height (1.96m) to win aerial duels.
"When you have above-average intelligence, you go further. He can read opponents' intentions, something we noticed in him early on. When a defender faces a faster or stronger striker, he tries to manage the situation with small shoulder contacts or anticipating the play. These are subtleties, tricks that usually only an experienced player masters, when he already knows the opponent well. But Leoni already has this notion," declared Roberto Baronio, former assistant coach at Sampdoria, in an interview with Parma Today.
This article was originally published on Trivela.
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