There’s much fanfare around Liverpool’s pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, and rightly so.
Hugo Ekitike has left Eintracht Frankfurt and signed for the Premier League champions in a deal worth an initial £69m, but the hungry Reds want more, want to consolidate their imperious position at the summit of the mountain.
Isak, 25, has informed Newcastle that he wishes to pursue a move to Anfield, and with sales of stars like Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott, it might just be possible.
However, it’s not just the frontline that Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes are hoping to improve before the window slams shut.
Liverpool's summer transfer plans
Away from the front of the ship, Liverpool also plan to add some depth at the back, with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi having emerged as the top target over the past several weeks.
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However, Tottenham Hotspur are also eager to make their own bid, and so the Anfield side appear to have lined up a potential alternative who has taken his first strides onto the senior stage.
Indeed, as per Corriere dello Sport – via Sport Witness – Liverpool have initiated contact with Serie A club Parma as they look to swipe their rising defensive star Giovanni Leoni.
Leoni, 18, exuded confidence and quality across his breakout campaign in Italy, and Inter Milan are also looking to sign him this summer.
Previous reports have suggested Leoni would be available for a fee of around €40m (£34m).
Why Liverpool want Giovanni Leoni
Liverpool made an attempt to sign Bournemouth’s Dean Hujsen in May, seeking to activate the young Spaniard’s £50m release clause.
He signed instead for Real Madrid, but Liverpool’s intent was clear.
Leoni fits a similar profile, and in this way, he could turn out to be an even more exciting talent than Guehi, who, aged 25, is one of the Premier League’s standout performers.
Though Liverpool wouldn’t be signing the same level of ability in the 6 foot 4 Leoni, he has the chance to leap ahead of the Palace captain, having been hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig as “one of the most complete teenage centre-backs in Europe.”
That roundedness is better highlighted through data-led platform FBref, who ranked Leoni among the top 17% of centre-backs across Europe last season for goals scored, the top 38% for successful take-ons and the top 17% for passes blocked per 90, highlighting that blooming technical variation.
Guehi is, of course, riding the crest of a wave as one of Europe’s most talented defenders, but Leoni would be cheaper and could be shaped by Slot’s coaching expertise over the next several years, absorbing the fruits of Virgil van Dijk and Konate’s labours (should the latter stay put).
Matches (starts)
34 (34)
17 (14)
Goals
3
1
Assists
2
0
Touches*
64.9
46.9
Pass completion
84%
89%
Key passes*
0.5
0.1
Ball recoveries*
4.3
2.0
Dribbles*
0.4
0.2
Tackles + interceptions*
2.6
1.7
Clearances*
4.6
3.6
Duels (won)*
4.9 (59%)
2.5 (61%)
Errors made
2
1
As you can see, Guehi far outstrips his younger positional peer, but there’s a lot to like from the Italian, who has established himself as a crisp passer and a defender who is strong in the duel.
Also, Leoni made just one error across the campaign, which bespeaks his composure and coolness under pressure. A calm head is something that has proved a staple of Guehi’s skill set over the past few years.
Leoni is a work in progress, but Slot is a master at bringing up-and-coming prospects to the fore. Given the cheap price tag and the existing completeness about Leoni, he might just come to prove the bigger talent in the long run.
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1 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 25, 2025