Liverpool has agreed a £26 million price with Parma for Italian defender Giovanni Leoni.
The 18-year-old centre-back will become their sixth major summer acquisition, bringing their total spending in this window beyond £300 million.
Leoni will complete a physical on Merseyside on Thursday and will discuss personal terms, which are unlikely to be an issue given his stated preference to join Liverpool. Reported By Independent News.
Internazionale and other Premier League clubs were reportedly interested in the Italy Under-19 international, but he will join Liverpool’s squad immediately, with any notion of a loan move ruled out.
Liverpool is looking for a replacement for Jarell Quansah, who was sold to Bayer Leverkusen. They are also in talks with Crystal Palace about England center-back Marc Guehi.
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The Premier League champions’ interest in Guehi is unrelated to their move for Leoni, as they have yet to agree on a fee with Palace.
Liverpool had to utilize midfielders Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo, and Trey Nyoni, as well as left-back Andy Robertson, as centre-backs in pre-season due to the sale of Quansah, Joe Gomez’s injury, and Virgil van Dijk’s illness.
After Sunday’s Community Shield defeat to Palace, head coach Arne Slot confessed that his team’s defending was a worry, having conceded nine goals in their last four games.
And their need for defensive reinforcements was also greater because Ibrahima Konate is in the final year of his contract.
Now Leoni is poised to join Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giorgi Mamardashvili, whose deal from Valencia was planned last year, among their summer arrivals.
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