Giovanni Leoni
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Giovanni Leoni[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 21 December 2006[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Rome, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Liverpool | ||
| Number | 15 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Vigontina | |||
| 2015–2019 | Cittadella | ||
| 2019–2023 | Padova | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023–2024 | Padova | 1 | (0) |
| 2024 | → Sampdoria (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| 2024 | Sampdoria | 0 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | Parma | 17 | (1) |
| 2025– | Liverpool | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024– | Italy U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2024– | Italy U19 | 7 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 25 March 2025 | |||
Giovanni Leoni (Italian pronunciation: [dʒoˈvanni leˈoːni]; born 21 December 2006) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Liverpool.
Early career
Leoni was born in Rome, in Italy[4] and moved to Padua at the age of 5. He began playing football with Vigontina before moving to Cittadella, and finished his youth development at Padova.[5] He made his senior and professional debut with Padova as a late substitute in a 3–2 Serie C win over AlbinoLeffe on 19 March 2023 at the age of 16 years and 3 months, making him the youngest professional footballer in Italy that season.[6]
On 1 February 2024, he joined Sampdoria on loan until June 2026 with an option to buy for €1.5 million.[7] On 25 June 2024, he signed a three-year contract with Sampdoria.[8]
On 27 August 2024, Leoni moved to Parma in Serie A. On 9 February 2025, he scored his first goal for Parma, a powerful header against Cagliari in a 2–1 loss.[9]
Liverpool
On 15 August 2025, Leoni completed a permanent transfer to Premier League club Liverpool for a reported fee of £26 million on a deal until June 2031.[10][11] He made his debut for the club on 23 September, starting in a 2–1 win against Southampton in the EFL Cup third round.[12] During this match, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, sidelining him for "about a year" as advised by Arne Slot, which would rule him out for the remainder of the season.[13]
International career
Leoni is a youth international for Italy, having been called up to the Italy U17s in March 2024.[14] He received his first call-up to the senior side for their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Estonia and Israel on 29 August 2025.[15]
Style of play
A centre-back, Leoni can best play in the centre or right side of a three-man defense. He is also a modern defender who practices in the build up game, and in covering spaces tactically.[7]
