Premier League champions Liverpool have officially announced the signing of 18-year-old centre-back Giovanni Leoni from Serie A club Parma.

The transfer still needs to wait for international transfer permission and work visa approval, but the Italian star has completed a medical examination at the AXA Training Center and signed a long-term contract, and is about to officially start his Liverpool career.

Leoni had a breakthrough in his Serie A career in the 2024-25 season. In his first season with Parma, he made 17 appearances and scored 1 goal, showing great potential.

In an interview with Liverpool's official website, Leoni could not hide his excitement: "I am very happy to be here. It is an incredible feeling and I feel extremely honored. When I first learned that Liverpool was interested in me, I just wanted to say that this is crazy."

Leoni, who was born in Rome, is 1.93 meters tall and plays as a central defender. He made his professional debut for Padova as early as March 2023, when he was only 16 years and 3 months old.

Leoni was subsequently loaned to Serie B club Sampdoria for the second half of the 2023-24 season, making 12 appearances and scoring one goal. Parma officially bought him out last summer. In addition to his club performances, he has also played seven games for the Italian U19 national team, making him a key young talent being developed by the national team.

After joining Liverpool, Leoni will wear the No. 15 jersey. Speaking of his future goals, he said: "I hope to continue to improve with my new teammates in training and bring this progress to the Premier League and Champions League."