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.
| 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 | |||
Club career
editEarly career
editLeoni 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
editOn 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
editLeoni 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
editA 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]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played 23 September 2025
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Padova | 2022–23 | Serie C | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2023–24 | Serie C | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||||
| Sampdoria (loan) | 2023–24 | Serie B | 12 | 1 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |||
| Parma | 2024–25 | Serie A | 17 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 1 | ||||
| Liverpool | 2025–26 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| Career total | 30 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | ||
- ↑ Includes Coppa Italia Serie C
- ↑ Includes EFL Cup
References
edit- ↑ "2025/26 Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 12 September 2025. Archived from the original on 12 October 2025. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
- ↑ "Giovanni Leoni". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ↑ "Giovanni Leoni: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
- ↑ "Giovanni Leoni - Carriera - stagioni, presenze, goal - TuttoCalciatori.Net". www.tuttocalciatori.net.
- ↑ "Sampdoria, una forza da... Leoni! Le big sul difensore blucerchiato". 3 April 2024.
- ↑ "Giovanni Leoni, il 2006 più giovane ad esordire tra i pro: "Ero teso, ma felice. I mister che ho avuto mi hanno insegnato molto"". Padova Calcio. 22 March 2023.
- 1 2 "Chi è Giovanni Leoni, il portafortuna di Pirlo che ha stregato Inter e Juventus". Calciomercato.com | Tutte le news sul calcio in tempo reale. 3 April 2024.
- ↑ "Leoni rinnova in blucerchiato fino al 30 giugno 2027" [Leoni renews with Blucerchiato until June 30, 2027] (in Italian). Sampdoria. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ↑ "Giovanni Leoni È Gialloblu" [Giovanni Leoni Is Yellow and Blue] (in Italian). Parma. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ↑ "Liverpool FC complete signing of Giovanni Leoni from Parma on August 15th". Liverpool F.C. 15 August 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ↑ Joyce, Paul (14 August 2025). "Giovanni Leoni: Liverpool agree £26m deal for defender. Leoni appeared against Newcastle but was an unused substitution". The Times. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- ↑ "Liverpool 2–1 Southampton". BBC Sport. 23 September 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ↑ "Liverpool's Leoni faces months out with debut injury". BBC Sport. 23 September 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ↑ "Buona la prima per gli Azzurrini a Merano: sconfitta 2-1 l'Austria. Franceschini: "Stiamo crescendo partita dopo partita"". Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio. 21 March 2024.
- ↑ Shaw, Chris (29 August 2025). "Giovanni Leoni receives first senior Italy call-up". Liverpool FC. Archived from the original on 2 September 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
External links
edit- Profile at the Liverpool F.C. website
- Giovanni Leoni FIGC Italy profile (in Italian)
- Giovanni Leoni – UEFA competition record (archive)
