Inter Set To Miss Out On 6ft 5in Defender As Transfer To Liverpool Nears Completion

According to the latest Giovanni Leoni transfer news, Inter are set to miss out on the Parma centre-back. 

Soccer journalists Ben Jacobs and Alex Crook both posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Liverpool are close to finalizing a deal for the Italian wonderkid.

The news will come as a huge blow to the Nerazzurri. Especially as former Crusaders boss Cristian Chivu was keen to reunite with his prodigy at the San Siro.

Come back to this tweet when the whole world knows him… 18-year old Giovanni Leoni is the truth and will make headlines in the future 🇮🇹🌟 pic.twitter.com/lwKT0jzXEQ

— Italy Focus 🇮🇹 (@theitalyfocus) July 6, 2025

Giovanni Leoni Transfer News Confirms Liverpool Deal Close

Despite Newcastle and Tottenham joining the race for Giovanni Leoni last month, the Parma defender and long-term Inter target is closing in on a move to Liverpool.

The 18-year-old is expected to move to Anfield for approximately €35million. A full verbal agreement has already been reached and the deal could be finalized in the next 24 hours.

Arne Slot’s side is also tracking England international Marc Guehi. The Merseysiders spending prowess this summer has left a number of top clubs unable to compete. Including the Nerazzurri.

Cristian Chivu’s side main focus appears to be on acquiring Ademola Lookman. The Atalanta forward has handed in a transfer request to try and force through a move to the San Siro.

Who Could Inter Pursue After Seemingly Missing Out On Giovanni Leoni?

After signalling his intentions to join Inter last month, Giovanni Leoni has had a change of heart and opted for Premier League champions Liverpool instead.

That will leave Cristian Chivu no choice but to pursue other centre-back targets. One star that the Nerazzurri boss could consider is Lorenzo Pirola.

In June, Roma re-entered the race for the Italy Under 21 captain but their interest has since cooled. The Olympiacos star is actually set to play against Chivu’s men this weekend in a club friendly.

That will give the Romanian tactician a prime opportunity to cast an eye over Pirola. Meanwhile, Jhon Lucumi also reamins on Inter’s radar.

The Bologna defender has been pursued by a number of clubs in Italy and abroad this summer. He – and Pirola – would both be cheaper alternatives to Leoni.

Meanwhile, the likes of Yann Bisseck, Benjamin Pavard and Alessandro Bastoni have all been strongly linked with moves away from the San Siro.

The latter has most recently been linked with Barcelona but the Nerazzurri are unlikely to sell this summer. Chivu also wants Bisseck to stay at the San Siro despite a number of clubs declaring an interest in the German.

Therefore, a lot of Inter’s defensive transfer activity will hinge on whether they lose any of the above. Having seemingly missed out on Leoni, Chivu will want at least one more centre-back to join before the transfer window closes.