Premier League Champions Liverpool Set For Double Defensive Boost With Marc Guehi and Giovanni Leoni Deals - Reports

The summer of 2025 has been a busy football transfer window for defending Premier League champions Liverpool, as they have bolstered an already-strong squad with a number of attacking options but they are now set to boost the team's defence as well, having been credibly linked to two defenders - Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi and Parma's Giovanni Leoni. 

The Reds have been keen to strengthen their defence for quite a while and in signing two centre-backs, show they mean business when it comes to defending their Premier League title too. 

Multiple reports claim Guehi will be available for as little as £40 million due to Palace needing to sell this summer as his deal expires at the end of the next season. As for Leoni, he is one to watch for the future given he is just 18 years old.

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Why Do Liverpool Need Defenders?

The defending English champions are thin on centre-back options after the sale of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer. 

The young centre-back deemed leaving a necessity for regular first-team football but his departure means Liverpool have only 3 recognised centre-backs - Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Kounate and Joe Gomez. 

Van Dijk has an impeccable injury record but is also 34 years old and cannot realistically be expected to play every game for the club. Gomez is solid but has a chequered injury record. 

And Kounate's future remains uncertain as he only has a year left on his deal and in any case, will also need to be rested and rotated. 

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Liverpool's Busy Transfer Window So Far

Should the two defenders sign, it will add to what has been an already very busy window for the 20-time English domestic top flight champions. 

They signed Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen - the latter of whom arrived on a British transfer record fee. 

They also signed Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike and Giorgi Mamardashvili - the goalkeeper had been signed last summer but arrives at the club this season. 

It represents a massive outlay for Liverpool, but also signals their intent to hang on to their status as the top side in the most competitive football league in the world.