‘In the next hours…’ – Romano drops Leoni update as 18y/o set to touch down in Liverpool today | OneFootball

Giovanni Leoni is set to become Liverpool’s third defensive signing of the summer transfer window, with the deal expected to go through sooner rather than later.

It’s a transaction which has escalated rapidly, with Florian Plettenberg reporting on Wednesday afternoon of a ‘full verbal agreement‘ before Fabrizio Romano gave it the ‘here we go’ treatment a few hours later, announcing (via X) that a €35m (£30.1m) move has been agreed.

The latter also outlined that the 18-year-old will come straight into Arne Slot’s senior squad, with a loan move not being discussed at any stage, and that it took minimal persuasion on Richard Hughes’ part as the centre-back had completely wanted to join the Reds.

Leoni due to arrive in Liverpool today ahead of £30m transfer

Late on Wednesday night, Romano took to X again with further details on Leoni’s immiment arrival, with the teenager due to have a medical imminently as the transfer nears completion.

The reporter posted: ‘Understand Giovanni Leoni will fly to Merseyside on Thursday, in the next hours as deal with Liverpool is sealed! All documents have been approved and LFC have just authorised Leoni to fly for medical tests. Here we go, 100% confirmed!’

(Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Leoni arrives in Liverpool with an excellent reputation

Liverpool fans who’d been dreading the prospect of going into the new Premier League season with only three senior centre-backs can now breathe a huge sigh of relief that, thanks to the ever-proactive Hughes, we’re about to have additional cover in that position on the eve of our opening match.

The Bournemouth game tomorrow night will almost certainly be too soon for Leoni to feature, and he still has to come through the medical before we can say without any fear of contradiction that he’ll be a Reds player, but it seems to be just a matter of time before the deal is made official.

That the Merseysiders are paying £30m for a defender with only 33 senior appearances (half of which came outside Serie A) attests to how highly the Italian is rated and how high a ceiling the Anfield hierarchy believe he has.

The 18-year-old is set to initially provide backup to Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, with he and Joe Gomez (who’s back in training this week) on hand to step in when required.

Leoni is set to arrive in Liverpool with a ringing endorsement from one of his nation’s greatest-ever coaches in Arrigo Sacchi, a two-time European Cup winner with AC Milan, who described him in Gazzetta dello Sport as ‘a great coup’ and a ‘decent guy, hard-working, humble and very determined’.

Those qualities should ensure that the teenage defender fits in perfectly at Anfield – Richard Hughes, you’ve done it again!