On transfer deadline day, Liverpool’s bid for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi fell through.
The Reds and their sporting director Richard Hughes had done all that they could, but Arne Slot was steadfast in his confidence in his pre-existing defensive options.
However, that was before Giovanni Leoni was forced off against Southampton, on his Reds debut, having ruptured his ACL. Now he will spend the majority of the season recovering.
How Liverpool will replace Leoni
Liverpool signed Leoni from Parma in Serie A for an initial £26m fee in August. The 18-year-old had scarcely been on the senior stage in his homeland, but he had shown enough promise for a swarm of suitors to buzz overhead, and it was Liverpool who were victorious in claiming their quarry.
Leoni has been developing within the Anfield ranks over the past month, piecing together his skillset and role and on-field personality in Slot’s system.
For the young Italian to have been withdrawn in such visible agony and dismay on his first appearance for the Merseysiders was sad to see. He had impressed against Southampton, having played most of the match and looked a cut above his partner Joe Gomez, who has played little football recently and who will now be expected to raise his game as he covers Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
Giovanni Leoni’s Liverpool Debut
Stats*
#
Minutes played
81′
Touches
102
Accurate passes
88/91 (97%)
Possession lost
3x
Tackles
1
Interceptions
3
Clearances
6
Ground duels won
1/2
Aerial duels won
3/3
Data via Sofascore
Liverpool’s options at the back are suddenly sparse, and Slot may need to turn toward the academy to plug a potential gap, handing Amara Nallo more responsibility.
Nallo could be the Leoni replacement
Nallo, 18, is right at the start of his Liverpool career, and already he has made his senior debut under Slot’s wing.
Nallo
However, that one ended somewhat unceremoniously, with the teenager sent off during Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Girona in the Champions League in January 2025.
Slot said Nallo “will learn” from his mistake, but there’s no question that it marks a blemish on an otherwise impressive highlight reel at this starting stage of his career.
Indeed, Nallo had previously been hailed by West Ham coach Carlton Cole as being a “Rolls-Royce of a centre-back”, physical, commanding and calm on the ball. These traits are inherent, and they could be guided toward something worthy of a regular role in Slot’s squad, given time.
Time, in this instance, isn’t on Nallo’s time; or rather, the young defender must now prepare for a potential hike in importance, with rotation limited after Leoni’s injury.
Liverpool centre-back Giovanni Leoni
Nallo’s two-footedness suggests he could be the perfect replacement, in fairness, able to replace Van Dijk when need be or operate from the right side.
Poached from West Ham United as a youth, Nallo has already racked up 52 appearances for Liverpool’s development sides – on top of that senior bow – and he could now be ready to take the plunge and feature regularly in the place where Leoni was set to stand.
After all, Slot has already handed the youngster his professional debut, and entrusting him with opportunities this season is hardly out of the question.
