Liverpool's summer signing suffered a long-term injury on his debut but has impressed behind the scenes at Anfield
Giovanni Leoni
Giovanni Leoni injured his ACL on his Liverpool debut and has been out for six months so far
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Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni has impressed at Anfield with his commitment to his rehab work and has a good grasp of English.
The young defender is already part of several social circles at the club following his summer move and is liked by his peers.
It's positive news about the young Italian defender, who suffered a cruel ACL injury on his debut in the Reds' win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup earlier this season, bringing his season to an end.
The 19-year-old, who joined from Parma in the summer for £27 million, is expected to be out for around a year as he recovers from the devastating injury.
Leoni looked assured in the 81 minutes he spent on the pitch, and has been working hard behind the scenes to get back to full fitness.
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There are no indications of when he'll be back on the pitch, but he's impressed Liverpool staff with his dedication in the gym, according to the Daily Mail.
Liverpool splashed the cash in the summer, with Leoni viewed as a long-term addition to the squad, with fellow young centre-half Jeremy Jacquet joining the club next summer.
Jeremy Jacquet
Jeremy Jacquet will move to Liverpool in the summer(Image: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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He, too, has recently suffered from an injury blow that requires surgery, but Arne Slot's comments about Leoni make clear the Italian has a long-term future at the club despite the arrival of the Frenchman.
"You have to look at the bigger picture, and the bigger picture is that we’ve signed an unbelievably talented player in Giovanni Leoni who will be back next season," he told reporters ahead of the clash with Arsenal earlier this year.
"This is the way this club works. As much has been said about our spending last summer, it’s not that there is no limitation on us spending.
"We have to do smart things, and this club has always tried to do smart things, to keep up with the teams we want to compete with. That’s not any different now."