Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni is a transfer target for Serie A side Juventus, with the Italian club aiming to rebuild its "national" DNA after recent struggles, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The report claims Juventus attempted to sign the 20-year-old on loan but were turned down by the Reds.
Leoni's Liverpool journey so far
Leoni joined Liverpool last summer from Parma but was sidelined for the entirety of last season after suffering an ACL injury on his debut. He has played just 81 minutes for the club since his arrival, featuring in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton before being dealt a cruel blow in the latter stages of that match.
The defender is now on the verge of returning to first-team training, with Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola set to reintegrate him this month. Speaking in September about the defender's expected return, Iraola said: "I think the next one probably should be Giovanni Leoni. I think the plan is also to start training during the [international] break, with the group."
Juventus' Italian rebuild
Juventus are looking to restore the Italian core that once dominated the national squad, with players like Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Pirlo and Leonardo Bonucci as past examples. Juventus boss Luciano Spalletti, speaking at the Trento Sports Festival last week, said: "Palmisani in our sights? He's a goalkeeper with a future and he's Italian, an important aspect because we want to expand the group of Italians in the squad."
Leoni and Lorenzo Palmisani of Frosinone are not the only young Italian talents on Juventus' radar. According to the report, Brentford's Michael Kayode, Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and Chey Ndour are also targets for the Serie A club.
Leoni is expected to return to action for Liverpool this month, providing a boost for Iraola ahead of a busy period.
