West Ham United were in good company during their brief dalliance with one of the finest young defenders in European football. A defender now on his way to Premier League champions Liverpool.
And while the Hammers were always pretty transparent in their need for a new goalkeeper, a striker, a couple of new full-backs, and a dynamic, box-to-box midfielder – Southampton rejected a £30 million bid for Mateus Fernandes this week – things have not been quite so clear in the central defensive department.
With Jean-Clair Todibo joining permanently, West Ham United only seemed likely to move for another centre-back if they succeeded in moving on one or two of those currently at Graham Potter’s disposal.
Yet, that did not stop speculation emerging surrounding Giovanni Leoni late last month.
Linked alongside Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle and Inter Milan by Corriere dello Sport, West Ham were reportedly chasing the Parma sensation too.
Now, a fortnight later, Leoni is indeed packing his bags and heading for England. But his destination will not be the London Stadium.
Giovanni Leoni during Werder Bremen v Parma Calcio - Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
Arne Slot admits Liverpool are set to sign West Ham United-linked Giovanni Leoni
Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League curtain-raiser against AFC Bournemouth on Friday night, Arne Slot confirmed one of the worst-kept secrets in the game.
“The club have agreed a deal [with Parma],” Slot said, albeit while refusing to comment further. “But he hasn’t signed for us yet.
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“The moment he signs for us, I can go into more detail.”
Possibly spooked into action by their Community Shield collapse against Crystal Palace – a game in which Virgil van Dijk looked anything but his usual imperious self – Liverpool are set to snap up the Italy Under-19 international to the tune of £30 million.
Marc Guehi could end the summer at Anfield, too, having captained Palace to a second successive Wembley triumph.
Arrigo Sacchi praises Leoni move while Villarreal make Konstantinos Mavropanos call
Back in East London, while West Ham always planned to reinvent Graham Potter’s squad this summer with a focus on young, high-potential talent, investing £30 million in an 18-year-old centre-half always felt rather fanciful.
Especially considering that, as a source close to the club’s board tells Hammers News, finding buyers for the likes of Nayef Aguerd, Konstantinos Mavropanos and co has proven difficult.
🚨🔴 BREAKING: Giovanni Leoni to Liverpool, here we go! Deal agreed with Parma for Italian 18yo centre back.
No loan, never discussed… Leoni joins #LFC now as part of Arne Slot plans.
Fee around €35m with sell-on clause.
No convincing ever needed as Leoni wanted Liverpool. pic.twitter.com/27rb2DXbw3
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 13, 2025
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Villarreal director Miguel Angel Tena opened the door to Mavropanos on Wednesday, shortly after reports emerged claiming that contact had taken place between both clubs. However, El Periodico Mediterraneo have since claimed that the La Liga outfit will not pay the £17 million fee West Ham want for the error-prone Greek giant.
Leoni, meanwhile, has the seal of approval from one of the most iconic managers in Italian football history.
”Liverpool would make a great signing. [Leoni] could thrive in the Premier League,” Arrigo Sacchi, the legendary Milan boss renowned for his ‘Catenaccio’ principles, wrote in his Gazzetta dello Sport column.
“It’s a shame he’s eluding the big clubs in Serie A. On the one hand, the news makes me immensely happy. And on the other, it makes me a little angry.
“In any case, I feel like the Reds would make a great coup by securing this boy, whom I followed with curiosity and interest in the second half of last season. Leoni is only eighteen, and I’m told he’s a decent guy, hard-working, humble, and very determined.”