Liverpool are close to signing Parma’s teenage centre-back Giovanni Leoni for an initial fee of £26m. The 18-year-old was a target for several Italian and Premier League clubs after impressing for Parma last season but Liverpool look to have beaten off the competition as they attempt to increase Arne Slot’s defensive options.
Manchester United were among the Premier League clubs to register interest in the defender. Inter had hoped to reunite Leoni with the former Parma coach Cristian Chivu but were unable to match the financial offer from Liverpool.
Liverpool consider Leoni one of the most promising young defenders in Europe and, having agreed a package with Parma, he is expected to go straight into the first-team squad. A deal for the 6ft 5in defender would not end the Premier League champions’ interest in Marc Guéhi. Negotiations with Crystal Palace over the England international are continuing.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is undergoing a medical at Leeds with a view to sealing a free transfer to the promoted Premier League club. The 28‑year-old centre-forward has been a free agent since leaving Everton in June after nine years. He scored 71 times in 273 appearances for the club and described his departure as “incredibly difficult”.
Moving to Elland Road, where he is poised to become the eighth recruit of a busy summer, would bring the former Sheffield United player back to his native Yorkshire. Calvert-Lewin would compete with the former Wolfsburg forward Lukas Nmecha and Joël Piroe, the Championship top scorer last season, for a place in Daniel Farke’s XI.
Calvert-Lewin’s arrival would be expected to accelerate Patrick Bamford’s exit from Leeds. Farke has told Bamford he has no future at the club. His fellow forward Mateo Joseph has joined Mallorca on loan. Calvert-Lewin, like Bamford, has struggled with injuries in recent seasons. He has 11 England caps, scoring four goals, but last played for his country in 2021.
Newcastle are among a clutch of clubs who had considered Calvert‑Lewin, scorer of three goals last season, but they decided he was too injury‑prone.
The Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz had ranked high on Farke’s attacking shortlist but, providing Calvert‑Lewin’s medical proceeds as planned, Leeds seem unlikely to continue that pursuit.
Fulham are anxious to retain Muniz but he has recently been the subject of a near-£35m bid from Atalanta and is another option considered by Newcastle as Eddie Howe reshapes his frontline.
Bournemouth have signed Bafodé Diakité from Lille to replace Illia Zabarnyi, who joined PSG on Tuesday. The south coast club have paid an initial £30m for Diakité and will bank almost £40m profit on Zabarnyi, who was sold in a £57m deal.
Bournemouth, who are interested in the Bayer Leverkusen winger Amine Adli, still want another centre-back after the sales of Zabarnyi and Dean Huijsen. They are another club who have tracked Parma’s Leoni.
