Why Liverpool have chosen Parma sensation Giovanni Leoni as Virgil van Dijk's successor

Independent

11 hours ago

The concept of 'winning' a transfer window more often than not boils down to how many players a team has signed. That being said, Liverpool could make a genuine claim to the crown with their summer business. Losing Trent Alexander-Arnold hurt, though to do so for £10m in order for the right-back to participate in the Club World Cup softened the blow of a potential free exit.
Nevertheless, Jeremie Frimpong is a fine successor at Anfield, the Dutchman willing to barrel upfield without a second's hesitation to help stretch defences. Milos Kerkez, even at 21 years of age, is a Premier League experienced left-back that should, in the long term, prove an upgrade on Andy Robertson.
Florian Wirtz is the marquee capture from Bayer Leverkusen, while Hugo Ekitike is a fine pick up from Eintracht Frankfurt. While not yet the finished product, the Frenchman bolsters Liverpool's frontline. And even then, the Merseyside giants are looking to strengthen further in attack as they continue to push for Newcastle's Alexander Isak. Clearly, Liverpool are not content with just the Premier League title.
That being said, they remain a little top heavy. Another central midfielder would probably be welcomed but the elephant in the room is at the heart of the defence. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate make one of the best centre-back partnerships in the division, yet the former turned 34 a little over a month ago and the latter is out of contract next summer. Real Madrid, like they were with Trent, are sniffing around the Frenchman and would face competition from PSG in the race for his services. The sale of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen limits Slot's centre-back options further.
And yet with less than three weeks to go until deadline day, Liverpool are finally making their moves in the market in a bid to future-proof their backline. Marc Guehi has been on Liverpool's radar with the champions long linked with a move for the Crystal Palace captain. A Premier League experienced centre-back who has drawn widespread adulation for his showings for both club and country, it's no wonder that Guehi has emerged as a serious target for Arne Slot's side.
But it's the news of a move for Parma teenager Giovanni Leoni that has raised eyebrows among supporters, with the Italian set for a move to Anfield. Leoni may not be a household name on these shores, but Liverpool's push for the 18-year-old Parma defender shouldn't come as a surprise.
As former Parma manager Cristian Chivu prioritised a 'defence first' gameplan for the Serie A side last season, an approach that had the desired effect as they successfully beat the drop by five points, Leoni still showcased all the qualities of a modern-day centre-back. Standing at 6ft 5in, Leoni returned a solid 63 per cent aerial success rate.
In addition, he managed a modest 4.6 clearances per 90 in his debut Serie A season, pointing to a proactive approach to defending for a Parma side that returned the fourth lowest possession average (44.2 per cent) in the division. Chivu's side, who at times operated in a three-man backline, were happy to sit back and soak up pressure before hitting opponents on the break, and this saw them score the sixth most counter-attacking goals in the division.
What will have caught the eye will have been Leoni's qualities on the ball. Even in a Parma side that largely operated on the backfoot, the Italian, who is comfortable with both feet, averaged 46.3 passes per 90, the third most of those to have made more than 10 appearances for Parma in Serie A last season, while an 88.7 per cent pass success rate was also third using the same parameters. In a team designed to line up in a low block, this was a commendable return and one that'll only improve in a side that dominates in the same vein as Liverpool.
That's not to say Leoni is the finished product – he came close to committing as many fouls (11) as he made tackles (14) in the 2024/25 Serie A campaign – and his limited minutes at senior level means there is only a small sample size to work with. What's more, Slot asks plenty of his centre-backs with Van Dijk (79) and Konate (66.5) ranking first and second, respectively, for passes per 90 for Liverpool last season. The towering Dutchman, meanwhile, finished the campaign second for accurate long balls per 90 (4.2), a significant rise in Leoni's one per 90 in Italy's top tier last term.
Leoni, though, showed plenty of promise in his maiden Serie A campaign not only in his on-ball ability but his off-the-ball work too. He wasn't overawed by the occasion having comfortably dealt with powerhouse strikers Romelu Lukaku and Dusan Vlahovic, showcasing his impressive upper body strength that will only develop as he grows. The future of Liverpool's defence is in very capable hands.