Young Parma defender Giovanni Leoni produced a stellar display against Juventus on Wednesday night. So could his future lie in Turin?
The Crociati stunned the Bianconeri with a 1-0 victory at the Ennio Tardini, boosting their survival hopes while serving a major blow to the Old Lady’s Champions League bid.
While Mateo Pellegrino was the author of the solitary strike, the organisers acknowledged Leoni’s superb outing by handing him MVP honours.
JuventusNews24 sheds some light on the 18-year-old’s solid outing at the back, describing it as a ‘sensational’ performance.
Leoni made six defensive clearances, two blocked shots, two interceptions, three tackles, won four out of four ground duels, as well as three aerial duels out of four.
The teenager had 58 touches overall, making 35 successful passes out of 40, in addition to five long balls.
As reported prior to the match, Juventus were planning to keep a close eye on Leoni whom they have been following since his meteoric rise to prominence last season.
Even if the defender wasn’t on Giuntoli’s agenda, his sublime performance would have attracted the 52-year-old’s attention anyway.
Hence, with the Italian delivering the goods against Randal Kolo Muani and Dusan Vlahovic, Juventus could be encouraged to make a move in the summer.
After all, the Bianconeri cannot bide their time too long, as other suitors would certainly plot a summer onslaught.
The Roma native started his career at Padova before joining Sampdoria in February 2024. Andrea Pirlo gave him his maiden first-team opportunity in Serie B, and he hasn’t looked back since.
The teenager was expected to be poached by one of the top Serie A clubs, but the ambitious Parma surprisingly prevailed in the race, signing the teenager for 5 million euros.
But if he keeps producing such delightful displays, Leoni shouldn’t linger at the Tardini for too long.
