Liverpool set to strengthen defence with Leoni

Liverpool have agreed a £26m fee with Parma for 18-year-old centre-back Giovanni Leoni as part of a busy summer to reinforce the defense.

Liverpool agree fee for new centre-back

Liverpool have agreed a 26m fee with Parma for 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni. The Italy Under-19 international will join Liverpool’s first team and is set for a medical on Merseyside, with talks over personal terms not expected to stall the move. He will join rather than go on loan as the club looks to replace Jarell Quansah, who was sold to Bayer Leverkusen.

Liverpool are also in talks with Crystal Palace about England centre-back Marc Guehi, though no fee has been agreed. Leoni’s arrival comes as the club have already spent heavily this window and push beyond 300m in total. The manager's priority appears to be strengthening a fragile defence that has exposed gaps in pre-season after injuries and suspensions left players to fill in at centre-back.

The deal signals a willingness to invest in youth to build a longer term spine, a common strategy among big clubs. Yet the price tag on a teenager injects risk: rapid development is not guaranteed and the financial footprint can become a point of pressure if results lag. The timing matters too, as Klopp era style urgency clashes with Slot’s more measured approach to squad building.

This window also reflects a wider Premier League trend where teams chase depth quickly to stay competitive. How Leoni adapts to the pace of English football will influence perceptions of Liverpool’s strategy: a bold gamble on potential, or a calculated insistence on sustainable strength.

Highlights

The season will test whether this wave of signings translates into steady, on-field backbone.