Serie A giants set sights on Liverpool star
· Yahoo Sports
Giovanni Leoni, Juventus Interest and Liverpool’s Real Decision Ahead
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Juventus circling Giovanni Leoni makes sense. Young, Italian, highly rated, and currently sitting in that sweet spot where potential still outweighs evidence. That is usually where big clubs start sniffing around, especially one trying to repackage itself around a more recognisable domestic identity.
According to the Liverpool Echo, Juventus have looked at Leoni as part of that wider reset. Gazzetta dello Sport claim they even explored a loan move, only to be turned away by Liverpool. If true, it tells you something simple. Liverpool still see value here, even after a first season wrecked by injury.
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Juventus Rebuild Meets Liverpool Patience
Leoni has played only 81 minutes since arriving from Parma. That is a tiny sample size. Yet context matters. He showed promise in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton before suffering the ACL injury that wiped out the rest of his campaign. For a teenager changing countries and levels, it was brutal timing.
Juventus are reportedly trying to restore what the source describes as their “national” DNA. It is a neat slogan, and it also reflects reality. They have lost clarity as a football operation in recent years. Rebuilding around Italian talent is an easy message to sell internally and externally. Leoni fits that profile perfectly.
Andoni Iraola Could Have Timely Boost
For Liverpool, the timing is more important than the noise. Leoni is close to returning to first-team training, and Andoni Iraola has already made clear where things stand. He said: “I think the next one probably should be Giovanni Leoni. I think the plan is also to start training during the [international] break, with the group.”
That matters more than any transfer gossip. Liverpool need bodies, depth and competition. A young centre-back with upside coming back into the picture this month is useful, especially during a congested stretch of fixtures.
Why Leoni Still Carries Weight in Italy
What is striking is that Leoni’s reputation in Italy remains strong despite barely featuring at Liverpool. That comes from what he showed at Parma, and from the fact clubs and scouts do not erase talent because of one bad injury. Juventus are also said to be monitoring Lorenzo Palmisani, Michael Kayode, Guglielmo Vicario and Chey Ndour as they reshape their squad.
Leoni may yet become a serious first-team option at Anfield. Right now, the smart move is obvious. Liverpool keep him, get him fit, and see what they actually have before entertaining anyone else’s rebuild project.
Our View
Here we go again, another continental giant deciding Liverpool should do the developmental work and then hand over the player once he is healthy. Juventus can talk about DNA, identity and all the rest of it, but from a Liverpool perspective this is background noise until Leoni is actually back playing regular football.
The idea of loaning him out now would be daft. Liverpool signed him because they believe there is a proper defender there, not because they wanted to run a rehabilitation service for Turin. He has already lost a year. The priority is obvious, get him fit, get him settled, and let Iraola and the staff decide if he can help this squad.
There is also a familiar pattern to these stories. A young player is labelled a major target, an elite prospect, a key part of some grand rebuild. Fine. Then pay properly or move on. Trying to borrow him after Liverpool absorbed the injury risk looks cheeky more than serious.
Supporters should be far more interested in whether Leoni can become a real option across the season than in whether Juventus like the look of him. Plenty of clubs like the look of Liverpool players. That tends to happen when recruitment is done properly. Until Leoni proves what he can do in red, this is chatter. Once he does, Liverpool should be asking why they would help anyone else.
Source: Liverpool Echo