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Liverpool have wrapped up the negotiation with Parma for Giovanni Leoni in a hurry. The defender flew to England for the final formalities on Thursday. The Premier League champions will shell out \u20ac31M plus \u20ac4M add-ons and 10 percent of a future sale, Sky<\/em> reports.<\/p>\n It\u2019ll be the fourth richest sale in the history of the Giallobl\u00f9<\/em> after Hernan Crespo, Gianluigi Buffon, and Lilian Thuram. The 18-year-old has had a meteoric rise in the last couple of campaigns. Sampdoria signed him on loan from the Padova youth academy in January of 2024. He quickly became a starter in Serie B. The Blucerchiati<\/em> bought him out for \u20ac1.5M in July but only to swiftly resell him to the Ducali<\/em> for nearly \u20ac5M a month later.<\/p>\n Leoni needed a few months to get acclimated to the top flight but has been indispensable for Parma from January on, eventually attracting the interest from the Serie A heavyweights and Liverpool.<\/p>\n The Reds targeted him due to Ibrahima Konat\u00e9\u2019s uncertain future and Joe Gomez\u2019s lack of fitness, TuttoSport<\/em> relays. According to Fabrizio Romano (via SOSFanta<\/em>), Milan and Inter never made a serious move for him despite their interest because they deemed him too expensive from the jump.<\/p>\n According to La Gazzetta dello Sport<\/em>, the center-back aspired to play in the Premier League, and his idol is Virgil Van Dijk.<\/p>\n The fee is lofty considering he has less than 20 Serie A appearances under his belt, but it\u2019s not ludicrous considering his age. His domestic admirers should have had more courage and foresight. He could fix a defense for 15 years if he fulfills his potential.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/p>\n<\/div>\nOur Take on Leoni Going to Liverpool<\/h3>\n
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