Liverpool has officially announced the acquisition of Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni for a fee of £26 million plus additional bonuses, bringing their total transfer expenditure this summer to £321.5 million.
The 18-year-old has signed a six-year contract at Anfield, marking him as the club's sixth significant signing of the transfer window.
Liverpool's spending now positions them as the third-highest among Premier League clubs in a single transfer window. Should they finalize a deal for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, anticipated to exceed £100 million, the Reds could establish a new record for summer spending.
Leoni's signing is part of Liverpool's strategy to bolster their defense following the transfer of academy product Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for £35 million. Additionally, Ibrahima Konate is in the last year of his current contract.
The Reds acted quickly to secure Leoni's services amidst interest from leading Italian clubs and other teams in the Premier League.
Reports from England indicated that the Italian teenager was eager to join Arne Slot's Premier League champions, and any chance of a loan move away from Anfield has been dismissed.
Leoni will join the first-team squad for the 2025/26 season and is anticipated to be present at Liverpool's season opener against Bournemouth at Anfield at 8 p.m. tonight, August 15.
Despite their substantial investment, Liverpool has mitigated much of their expenditure through player sales. Seven first-team players have left the club for a total exceeding £200 million, including Luis Diaz's transfer to Barcelona for £65 million and Darwin Nunez's move to Paris Saint-Germain for £56.6 million.
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