Liverpool closing in on £26m deal to sign 18 yo Parma defender Giovanni Leoni

Liverpool are finalising agreement on a £26million deal for Parma defender Giovanni Leoni.

The Reds will pay further add-ons for the 18-year old on performances plus a sell-on percentage.

Daily Mail Sport reported on Tuesday that the Premier League champions had stepped up their interest in the defender.

The deal unconnected to Liverpool's pursuit of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi for a similar fee.

The Italy U19 has only played 17 times in Serie A but the Reds transfer department are understood to like Leoni a lot and are ready to pursue a move to sign him.

Liverpool's interest in Leoni, a 6ft 5in central defender, comes after the Reds previously pursued Lenny Yoro, Jorrel Hato and Dean Huijsen as they seek a long-term successor to captain Virgil van Dijk.

Leoni had only joined Parma last summer in a deal worth an initial £4.3m from Sampdoria, who had only months earlier activated a £1.3m option to make a loan move from Padova permanent.

The teenager had played under former Italy international Andrea Pirlo at Sampdoria, during his stint in charge of the Serie B side.

Pirlo had dismissed concerns about the defender featuring in the first team at a young age and backed him to become a star of the future.

'If someone had doubts about starting him from the first minute, I had none,' Pirlo said in March 2024. 'I see him every day in training. He played as a mature youngster, he will become a strong footballer.'

Liverpool have been in the market for a centre back, with Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate the only fit senior centre backs on their books. Joe Gomez is injured.

Liverpool are in, meanwhile, direct contact with Crystal Palace over a move for their captain Guehi in a separate deal.