£30m player is now ready to reject Liverpool and Tottenham for Inter Milan move

Liverpool and Tottenham are both actively seeking to sign a new central defender during the summer transfer window. Liverpool's need arises after selling Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen, requiring a replacement comfortable with being a backup to Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, and Joe Gomez. Similarly, Tottenham's readiness to sell Radu Drăgușin has prompted their search for a defender to compete with Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, and Kevin Danso.

Both clubs have identified Parma's 18-year-old centre-back Giovanni Leoni as a target, facing competition from Inter Milan and Juventus. According to Corriere dello Sport, Inter Milan have gained an advantage by convincing Leoni to prioritize a move to the San Siro. The defender is eager to reunite with Inter's Cristian Chișu—who gave him his breakthrough at Parma—and is satisfied with the proposed role in the team. Parma has set an asking price of €35 million (£30 million) for the transfer.

However, the deal remains uncertain as Inter Milan is simultaneously negotiating for Atalanta's Ademola Lookman, delaying formal talks with Parma for Leoni. The Italian outlet notes that Leoni will not wait indefinitely for Inter; if progress stalls, he will evaluate other options with his representatives. This leaves the door open for Liverpool and Tottenham to potentially revive their pursuit, ensuring hope for the Premier League duo remains alive.