Official! A year out for a Liverpool signing

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Foot Africa

·26 September 2025

Official! A year out for a Liverpool signing

A brutal setback for Giovanni Leoni. Signed this summer by Liverpool for around €31 million from Parma, the 18-year-old centre-back suffered a serious knee injury during his debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup. Medical tests have confirmed an anterior cruciate ligament rupture. Arne Slot made the diagnosis official in a press conference, revealing a long-term absence of “about a year” and acknowledging how tough this moment is for a player experiencing a new club and a new country. According to the manager, it’s difficult to “find any positives” in such a situation, except perhaps the player’s young age, which means he still has “many years ahead of him” once he recovers.