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Liverpool Secure Leoni from Parma After Newcastle Rebuff

Why Liverpool won Leoni’s signature

Liverpool’s capture of Giovanni Leoni from Parma has been framed not as a triumph of financial muscle, but as a story of intent and persuasion. The Italian side’s CEO, Federico Cherubini, revealed that Newcastle United had tabled a larger offer before the teenager chose Anfield.

Speaking to Gazzetta di Parma, via Parma Live, Cherubini admitted:

“We rejected a higher offer from Newcastle for Leoni.

But plans have changed with Liverpool. I’ve always said the club wanted to keep Giovanni, and he’s always said he’d be happy to stay.

We even turned down an offer from Newcastle, which was more advantageous than the one Liverpool eventually made.

When the Reds came forward, our plans changed: both because the offer was very attractive and because Giovanni made it clear he was very happy to take advantage of this opportunity.”

That clarity of ambition proved decisive. Liverpool offered Leoni not just a contract, but a pathway.

Parma’s reluctant farewell

Parma had nurtured Leoni carefully, giving him his first steps in Serie B. His ascent has been rapid: a handful of games, a senior international call-up, and now a £26 million move to Merseyside. For Cherubini, the departure brought conflicting emotions:

“On the one hand, it’s obviously disappointing to have lost such a promising player, but on the other, there’s pride in a club like ours and recognition for those who believed in this boy in unsuspecting times.”

That balance between regret and pride is familiar for a club accustomed to developing players who inevitably move on.

Photo: IMAGO

Building Liverpool’s defensive future

Leoni will wear the number 15 shirt, though regular starts are unlikely in the immediate term. His signing is part of a broader recalibration at Liverpool under Arne Slot. The £30 million sale of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen demanded a response, and the recruitment drive has stretched beyond defence.

Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, and Alexander Isak have all been added to the squad. Yet it is Leoni’s arrival that underlines Liverpool’s desire to secure the future spine of the team. Virgil van Dijk’s presence provides the perfect environment for a raw but gifted centre back to learn, while Slot himself has spoken of his admiration for the teenager.

Why this transfer matters

Liverpool’s pursuit of Leoni was not about immediate returns. It was about conviction. Parma saw him as a jewel, Newcastle saw him as an asset, but Liverpool saw him as part of a vision. For a club intent on bridging the present and the future, that distinction could prove vital.