After Liverpool had strongly invested her attack in the dramatic revision of her attack, she signed her defense line with the 26 million pounds, which was signed by Center Back Giovanni Leoni by the series -a -niebenparm. At the age of only 18, the Italy Youth International still immerses only his toes in the pool of high -ranking football at the highest level, but the red saw enough of 14 league to sanction a quick step.
Leoni started the 2024-25 campaign on the bench, but he had gained a foothold in the first team by Christmas. Then, in the course of the second half of the season, he helped build the defense and convert losses into draws – enough of protecting the Krociati from relegation.
How did Liverpool choose the goal with his Premier League -Switch and what will Leoni bring the defending champion?
How Liverpool Leoni identified and signed
For years, the signing of a promising young central defender has classified highly in Liverpool's list of priorities. Last summer, the Anfield Club was interested in signing Lilles Leny Yoro before finally coming to Manchester United. The Reds were also admirers from Dean Huijsen in Bournemouth, who made £ 50 million to Real Madrid in the early this summer.
In just 17 series -a appearances for Parma last season, Leoni was one of the most exciting young talents of Italian football and fits the profile that the Premier League master was looking for. It is understandably far from the finished article, but Liverpool is confident that the 6-foot 4 defender has all the physical attributes that are necessary to develop into a first-class center, especially with the possibility of learning from his Idol Virgil van Dijk.
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After Parma had made his breakthrough under the manager Cristian Chivu in the second half of the season, Leoni had spoken to Inter Milan after his coach this summer. Liverpool – supported by sports director Richard Hughes' extensive contacts in Italy – was able to quickly make a contract for the line. Sources said that despite the interest of several clubs in his home country and elsewhere in the Premier League, the player was in Anfield in the Premier League.
There were some suggestions that Liverpool could borrow Leoni this season, although this idea was quickly rejected by the club's hierarchy. Although Liverpool is still pursuing a deal for the English international Marc Guéhi, Leoni will join Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté and Joe Gomez under the manager of Arne Slot's First Team Center Back Options for the upcoming campaign. – Beth Lindop
What Leoni brings to Liverpool
Leonis sheer size and strength contradicts its tender age. He is still a teenager, but he cuts a hulking figure on the pitch and his shoulders seem to be made of steel. He clearly enjoys physical duels with equally powerful strikers; During the last section of the season, he dominated Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic on the way to a vital 1-0 victory, and Leoni was also brilliant with Romelu Lukaku in a 0-0 draw with Napoli and went for magic sayings and literally followed him around the field.
This ability to cope with strong No. 9 is by far its outstanding feature. He is aggressive on site and strong in the air – his 63% air victory last season was one of the best – and he lives to defend the box, and already showed a good awareness of where crosses and cuts could land.
Leoni is ultimately a prospect for the future, but the young defender showed last season in series A that he can immediately participate in Liverpool's first team. Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Leoni is versatile in his position and is able to play as a right or left -handed middle in a back of four or anywhere over the line in a third line. When he is stationed in the center of a three-man setup, he escapes, roams and finds someone a duel.
There are coaching points for Liverpool to address. His passport selection in the last season tends to be extremely safe and either briefly played to the next man, back to the goalkeeper or played it in the general direction of a striker. That could have been more of a tactical instructions than a personal deficiency – Parma fought against relegation until the last day, which means that they were really able to commit to the risk structure – but the slot wants possession that the ball was more considering when the ball is at the feet of Leonis.
Leoni never wore the ball up and into space and opened and others the pitch. This could also have been of design, but in view of the fact that he joined an elite ball-dominant team, it is worth mentioning that he classified in series A for ball bearers and only the 6th percentile for progressive procedures in the first (i.e. lowest) percentile. – Sam Tighe
How Leoni will fit in Liverpool
In order to have the chance of success as a center in the Premier League today, they probably have to be big and strong. Take a look at the physical structure of the defensive corps, which Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool have gathered, for example. Leoni clearly ticks this box. It will be well suited for the Titanic fight, which is now taking place in set pieces, regardless of the opponent, and a good fit when it comes to facing the influx of really physical strikers that we see in the Premier League.
However, there could be little concern that Leoni should grow to a powerful player, but the type of top end speed and mobility that many of the best center reccruses have. According to gradients, its maximum speed lasted 31.82 km/h last season, only 54th under the back of the series -A -Mitte, which played 900 minutes or more. For a Liverpool comparison, van Dijk has registered 33.79 km/h and Konaté 33.57 km/h.
In view of the fact that Liverpool's full -back is probably extremely attacking fashion that work mobility features and mobility features in the center of the team, they will be more important than ever. The fact that Leoni is hardly fast jumps off the assembly line, and the statistics confirm it. It is also not the fastest over 5 meters and is not particularly smooth or slowing down.
The rest of his game can be easy to fesse through coaching, with better players and in a more expansive system. Take a player from a graded descent battle, and of course you will see that more qualities are in the foreground on the ball. From there, the slot should be able to hand over exactly how long Leoni is required before it can have a positive effect on the senior page. – Tighe
