Liverpool's plan for Giovanni Leoni as Reds to beat two Premier League rivals to teen star

Liverpool are set to land Parma defender Giovanni Leoni for an initial £26m. The Reds are closing in on a full agreement with the Serie A side for the centre-back.

Leoni, 18, is ready to jet to England to complete a medical once the final terms are agreed in the next 24 hours. Liverpool have beaten Inter Milan and AC Milan to his signature, while Manchester United and Newcastle were also keen.

Parma were keen for the player to spend this season on loan with them but the Reds are ready to put him into their first-team squad. Leoni will join be part of the squad alongside Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez, who has returned to training this week.

Liverpool are also trying to sign Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi and are continuing talks with their Premier League counterparts for a deal of around £35m. Leoni replaces Jarell Quansah, who was sold to Bayer Leverkusen for £30m earlier in the window.

Leoni broke into Parma starting line-up in the second half of last season and made 17 appearances. He can play in the middle of a back three or on the right side of a two.

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Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes remains in talks with Parma chief executive, Federico Cherubini but the main parts of the deal are agreed. Liverpool missed out on young centre-backs in the last couple of window after failed attempts to land Levi Colwill, Leny Yoro and Dean Huijsen.

Colwill stayed with Chelsea while Yoro preferred Manchester United when he left Lille and Huijsen picked Real Madrid this summer. The deal does not make any difference to Liverpool’s pursuit of Guehi with talks to continue through this week.

Guehi, 25, has just one year left on his contract at Selhurst Park and wants to make the move to Anfield. Liverpool want to do a deal this summer but could take him for free in 12 months.

Palace chairman Steve Parish does not want to let Guehi go for free but also wants over £40m for him with negotiations to continue. Palace turned down a £70m bid from Newcastle in January and went on to win the FA Cup.

They have been demoted to the Conference League but they are still set for a big season and would want to replace Guehi if he departs so want to command as high a fee as possible.

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