Giovanni Leoni

Last updated

Giovanni Leoni
Personal information
Date of birth (2006-12-21) 21 December 2006 (age 18) [1]
Place of birth Rome, Italy
Height 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) [2]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
Liverpool
Number 15
Youth career
Vigontina
2015–2019 Cittadella
2019–2023 Padova
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2023–2024 Padova 1 (0)
2024Sampdoria (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 (born 21 December 2006) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Liverpool and the Italy national team.

Contents

Club career

Early career

Leoni was born in Rome, in Italy [3] 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. [4] 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. [5] On 1 February 2024, he joined Sampdoria on loan until June 2026 with an option to buy for €1.5 million. [6] On 25 June 2024, he signed a three-year contract with Sampdoria. [7]

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. [8]

Liverpool

On 15 August 2025, Leoni was transferred permanently to Premier League club Liverpool for a reported fee of £26 million on a deal until June 2031. [9] [10]

International career

Leoni is a youth international for Italy, having been called up to the Italy U17s in March 2024. [11] 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. [12]

Playing style

A tall, strong and ambipedal centre-back, Leoni can play in the centre or in the right side of a three-man defense. He is very agile and skilled with his head. He is also a modern defender who is skilled in the build up game, and in covering spaces tactically. [6]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 24 May 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup [a] League cup [b] EuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Padova 2022–23 Serie C 1010
2023–24 Serie C003030
Total103040
Sampdoria (loan) 2023–24 Serie B 12100121
Parma 2024–25 Serie A 171171
Liverpool 2025–26 Premier League 0000000000
Career total30230000000332

References

  1. "Giovanni Leoni". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  2. "Giovanni Leoni factfile: Everything you need to know about the 'little lion'". Liverpool F.C. Archived from the original on 24 August 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  3. "Giovanni Leoni - Carriera - stagioni, presenze, goal - TuttoCalciatori.Net". www.tuttocalciatori.net.
  4. "Sampdoria, una forza da... Leoni! Le big sul difensore blucerchiato". 3 April 2024.
  5. "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.
  6. 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.
  7. "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.
  8. "Giovanni Leoni È Gialloblu" [Giovanni Leoni Is Yellow and Blue] (in Italian). Parma. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  9. "Liverpool FC complete signing of Giovanni Leoni from Parma on August 15th". Liverpool F.C. 15 August 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  10. 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.
  11. "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.
  12. 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.