Juventus revive contacts with teenage sensation wanted at Inter Milan | OneFootball

Juventus are refusing to give up in the battle for Giovanni Leoni, as they have decided to reactivate their plans to lure the young defender.

The 18-year-old is a Padova youth product who made a name for himself in Serie B following his transfer to Sampdoria in January 2024. Andrea Pirlo immediately trusted him with a starting role despite his tender age, and the youngster proved to be up to the task.

Last summer, the biggest clubs in Italy were already queuing up for Leoni, but Parma surprisingly prevailed in the end. Nevertheless, the centre-back is still expected to wind up at a top club, as his talent is worthy of a more competitive team than the Crociati who only managed to escape relegation after a dramatic dogfight.

Inter leading the race for Giovanni Leoni?

In recent weeks, Inter emerged as the defender’s staunchest suitor. However, Parma’s asking price of €40 million has been a major hurdle for the Nerazzurri, who are trying to add Sebastiano Esposito to the package in an attempt to reduce the costs.

(Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

But according to La Stampa via IlBianconero, Inter are not alone in the race, as their crosstown rivals Milan have also enquired about Leoni, while Juventus have rekindled their long-running interest in the player.

Juventus remain in the fray for Leoni

Nevertheless, the source notes that the Bianconeri have yet to submit a concrete bid, as they’re currently occupied with other transfers that could see the light in the coming days.

Damien Comolli and Co. have been working on several fronts, trying to finalise the moves of Francisco Conceicao and Jadon Sancho among others, and offloading the club’s unwanted players, the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Douglas Luiz.

Hence, Juve are keeping the Leoni track alive, albeit it doesn’t represent a priority at the moment.