Liverpool have been rather busy throughout the entirety of the summer transfer window.
Arne Slot and Richard Hughes have spent a small fortune on improving their ranks this summer, with the Reds looking to retain the Premier League title and also make a better name for themselves in the Champions League.
At the moment, there are three potential targets who have been floated around that are reportedly close to confirming their Anfield switches.
Arne Slot manager / head coach of Liverpool during the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool v Athletic Club Bilbao at Anfield
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
And now, it seems like one of them is closer than the others.
Giovanni Leoni is set to undergo his Liverpool medical on Thursday
Giovanni Leoni is one of the three players who are close to making the switch to Merseyside.
The 18-year-old was a regular feature for Parma in the Serie A last season and, before talks with Liverpool started to advance, he was highly sought-after by most of the top Italian clubs.
And now, as per a fresh report from The Times journalist Paul Joyce via his personal X account, it seems like a deal is closer than many think.
“Medical to begin today after Giovanni Leoni given permission to travel to complete Liverpool move,” he wrote.
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Giovanni Leoni is an extremely clever signing for Liverpool
As has been the case for the past few transfer windows, Hughes has been looking for a young defender aged between 18 and 22 to join Liverpool’s ranks.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are the Reds’ first-choice centre-backs at the moment, but, with Van Dijk’s new deal only lasting another two years, they need a succession plan in place to ensure their quality doesn’t drop off if he leaves upon the expiry of his contract.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk in action during the 2025 Community Shield against Crystal Palace at Wembley
Photo by Steven Halliwell/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
And, since Leoni is still only 18 years old, once he’s trained with Liverpool for the next three seasons, he’ll be classed as homegrown at the club, which makes things such as registering much easier.
Indeed, only time will tell whether the fee for Leoni, which is worth around £30million, will be too much for the youngster, but on the face of things, it looks like a rather solid deal.
That is, especially since Parma’s manager has already called Leoni a “great” player.