Despite Liverpool completing this summer, Arne Slot’s backline looks pretty light.
Aside from 34-year-old Virgil van Dik and Conate Ibrahima, the latter is courted by Real Madrid, but the Reds sold Jarrell Kuansa to Bayer Leverkusen in June for £35 million.
However, the Premier League champions are in great shape after adding real firepower to their ranks. And it doesn’t even address the potential arrival of Alexander Isaac.
but. The facts remain. Liverpool’s line of defense is pretty light. Milos Kerkez and Jeremy Fripon are signed and are incredible talent, but centre-backs aren’t.
And the need for more defensive depth is underlined as Joe Gomez was forced to leave Liverpool’s preseason tour in Asia due to injuries.
Liverpool lined up Gomez alternatives
At Gomez, the first team player to serve in Liverpool, slots have valuable assets. He is fiercely versatile and surprisingly he won the 2019/20 Premier League title as Van Dyke’s central partner, playing a lot on both right-back and left.
Joe Gomez – Career Statistics by Position | |||
|---|---|---|---|
position | App | the goal | assist |
Center back | 117 | – | 2 |
Right back | 102 | – | 6 |
Left back | 33 | – | 2 |
Defensive midfield | 2 | – | – |
Statistics through the Transfer Market | |||
However, the 28-year-old picked up a small Achilles injury. That means he may not be the right fit to start the season.
Given Gomez’s link to several transfers over the past year, it may be unwise to move forward and try to sign a long-term alternative.
Liverpool is touted in the move of Crystal Palace’s Marcguech, who is closing his contract at the end of the 2025/26 season, but there is no guarantee that Tottenham Hotspur will in particular show his own interests.
So FSG creates an alternative pick, and the guy is Giovan Nileoni.
The 18-year-old Palma Centre Half has been subject to inquiries from Liverpool, Newcastle United and Tottenham, but Intermilan will remain in the driver’s seat after efforts to sign him.
It is said that the time to act now is now preparing their bids, as talented defenders may still attract more suitors. He says he would be spending something in the 35 million euro (£30 million) region.
Why Liverpool should sign Giovanni Leoni
It’s not the first time Liverpool has signed a young prospect from Serie A and raised him to a superstar. Alison Becker and Mohamed Sara both define the characteristics of this glorious era at Merseyside, but both have arrived as sophisticated players.
However, Philip Coutinho was merely a hatch in the senior stage. Liverpool signed the Brazilian midfielder for just £8.5 million from Inter Milan in January 2013, scoring 54 goals and providing 44 assists in 201 matches before signing Barcelona in a lewd £142 million package in January 2018.
So I began my days of glory. You know what it will be.
Coutinho was a unique playmaker, very silky and special, but when he was first welcomed by Anfield as a 20-year-old, the promises were scattered and sloppy. He needed a lot of tweaks.
Don’t worry, we have not lost the marble. This is not advocate for Leoni to slot into that number role, but rather places the surgical path forward with a maestro finesse. Instead, this sheds light on Liverpool’s success in identifying and signing promising talents from the English game.
And with sports director Richard Hughes boasting connections to the Italian scene, fluent in language, familiar with football culture, beginning his days as an Atalanta specialist in Serie A and spending time as an Italian football analyst, he could probably be spending money on the money if he draws the conclusion that Leoni is a talent worth chasing.
Anyway, he’s not alone in his admiration. Suiters are piled up, and talent scout Jacek Kulig says he is “one of Europe’s most complete teenage centre-backs.”
His breakout season in Serie A proves that.
League Statistics 24/25 -Marc Guehi vs Giovanni Leoni | |
|---|---|
Statistics (*per game) | # |
Match (start) | 17 (14) |
the goal | 1 |
assist | 0 |
touch* | 46.9 |
Pass completed | 89% |
Key Pass* | 0.1 |
Ball recovery* | 2.0 |
dribble* | 0.2 |
Tackle + Intercept* | 1.7 |
clearance* | 3.6 |
Duels (winning)* | 2.5 (61%) |
An error has occurred | 1 |
Data based on sofa score | |
Leoni, yes, can be defined by his comprehensive grasp of the defensive game and his domination in defensive situations. The fact that he won 61% of duels in the league last season suggests that.
Either way, it’s a pretty promising foundation. The scope of improvement is vast and exciting.
Look at Coutinho. Liverpool remembers him as a light that shines through test time. This is the magician who played a fundamental role in the golden age at Anfield.
But when he first came down at Liverpool, he scored once and began three times in Italy over a half season before his transfer, he was on the prospects.
He quickly found his footing. And you can also do Leoni. The young Italian defender should bounce back from his current injuries as a study of Van Dik and Conate, and Gomez too.
It is clear that Liverpool will need to sign centre-back, and in Leoni they may land a star to make themselves.
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