Liverpool have confirmed 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni has joined from Parma on a six-year contract.
Liverpool will pay £26m, and Leoni will attend the Premier League opener against Bournemouth on Friday night.
Leoni is viewed as one of the most promising centre-back prospects in his age group, and Liverpool fought off competition from several Serie A clubs, with Champions League finalists Inter pushing hardest.
Liverpool Confirm Leoni Deal
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Newcastle United also made a late and aggressive attempt to hijack Liverpool's move for Leoni, including placing a formal bid to Parma, but the player had already decided he wanted to move to Anfield.
Leoni matches the profile Liverpool have been seeking all summer, with Michael Edwards and Richards Hughes inclined to add young defender in the 18-22 age bracket. Leoni is tall, physical and composed with his feet and played 17 times in Serie A last season, winning almost 80 percent of aerial duels.
Leoni is almost certain to be named in the next Italy squad, while Liverpool believe he is both a player for the now and the future.
Following the sales of Sepp van den Berg and Jarell Quansah within the past year, and the permanent departure of Nat Phillips this summer, there is now a clear pathway for a young centre-back to play regular Premier League football.
Despite Leoni's age, he has already demonstrated he can perform at a high level in one of Europe’s top five leagues and Liverpool believe he has an incredibly high ceiling.
Liverpool chose to move late in the window out of need, but also because Leoni proved a market opportunity. Very few young centre-backs have proven available in previous windows. Liverpool had tried for Leny Yoro, who joined Manchester United, and kept tabs on Levi Colwill, but never felt Chelsea would sanction a sale.
Liverpool also believe Leoni can learn off Virgil van Dijk and ultimately have a transition period playing with him before ultimately replacing him.
Liverpool could still add another elite-level centre-back, with Marc Guehi discussed, but a deal is not yet close.
The club is also in talks with Ibrahima Konaté’s representatives over a contract extension.
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