Liverpool have reportedly agreed to a deal to sign 18-year-old Italian defender Giovanni Leoni from Parma. The agreement was reached late on Wednesday night, with the fee reported to be £26 million plus add-ons. Leoni has been granted permission to travel to Liverpool to undergo a medical and agree personal terms, with the medical expected to begin on Thursday.

Several top clubs in Italy and the Premier League were also interested in Leoni, but the player was determined to join Arne Slot's Liverpool side. Leoni is expected to join the first-team squad immediately, with no plans for a loan move.

Leoni's arrival comes as Liverpool look to reinforce their center-back options, especially with Ibrahima Konate entering the final year of his contract. The departure of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen has also left Liverpool slightly short at the back. Joe Gomez has recently returned from an Achilles injury, leaving Virgil van Dijk and Konate as the only other senior center-back options.

Liverpool's summer spending is set to exceed £300 million with the addition of Leoni. This includes previously securing Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike. The club has also generated significant revenue through player sales, including Luis Diaz (£65.6m), Darwin Nunez (£46m) and Jarell Quansah (£35m).

The Reds are also reportedly interested in Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, but there is a gap in valuation between the two clubs. Palace are said to be demanding around £40 million for Guehi, while Liverpool are looking to pay less, having already spent around £270 million this summer.

Liverpool face a race against time to register Leoni before midday on Thursday if they want him to be available for their Premier League opener against Bournemouth on Friday night. However, even if he is registered in time, it is debatable whether Arne Slot would immediately include him in the squad, given that he has not yet trained with his new teammates.

Leoni only joined Parma last year, signing a three-year deal after a short stint at Sampdoria. He went on to make 17 appearances in Serie A in 2024/25.

Manchester United were also reportedly interested in Leoni, but their approach came too late as Liverpool were already close to completing the deal. United's need for defensive reinforcements was driven by the retirement of Jonny Evans and the departure of Victor Lindelof.