Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni has insisted he was never close to joining any Italian clubs before his move to Anfield.
Tuttomercatoweb cover comments from the youngster today. He has been speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport’s Sport Week.
The 19-year-old joined Liverpool in a €31m move in the summer transfer as part of the Reds’ big summer splurge.
He had previously impressed at Parma last season, after joining them in a €7.9m deal in August. His performances in Serie A had led to interest from some of Italy’s biggest clubs, and others around Europe.
Juventus, Inter Milan, Napoli and AC Milan were heavily linked with potential moves before he ended up at Anfield. Inter were particularly keen as manager Cristian Chivu had previously worked with him at Parma. Vice-president Javier Zanetti even publicly confirmed their interest.
Juventus and Napoli were also credited with an interest, while reports suggest AC Milan had been keen before being deterred by the €40m asking price. Liverpool’s financial power ultimately saw them wrap up the €31m deal ahead of the competition.
Now Leoni has insisted that there were no significant talks with anyone in Italy. And, he believes his move to Liverpool was the wisest choice anyway.
“There was never anything concrete with any Italian club,” he said.
“Of course, when there’s interest, you think about it, but no team was closer than the others. Then Liverpool came along, and it’s hard not to look at it differently. I have to say that every day I believe the Premier League was the best choice.”