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Liverpool have signed 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni from Italian side Parma for a fee of £26m plus add-ons.

Leoni, who Reds boss Arne Slot confirmed the club had agreed a deal for earlier this week, has signed a contract until 2031.

The Italy Under-19s centre-back began his career at Padova and had a short spell at Sampdoria before joining Parma last summer.

Leoni played 17 games in his first campaign in Serie A last season, attracting interest from both Milan clubs, but has opted for a move abroad.

He said it was “not possible to say no” to Liverpool.

“Because it’s one of the best clubs in the world. It’s not possible to say no to this club,” he told the club website.

“[It was] easy – because it’s one of the best clubs in the world. I didn’t say no.”

Giovanni Leoni only made his senior debut in 2023, playing in the Italian third tier for Padova as a 16-year-old, but just two years later he has joined the Premier League champions.

Liverpool have been looking for reinforcements in central defence since selling Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen last month, and although Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi remains very much in their sights, Leoni would provide extra cover in an area where the Reds are potentially light.

After all, captain Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were their only fit senior central defenders for the Community Shield.

With Van Dijk now 34, Liverpool need to have an eye on the future. Eighteen-year-old Leoni certainly ticks that box but also looks ready now, despite only establishing himself in Parma’s starting line-up in the second half of last season.

With just 14 top-flight starts under his belt, he has not played as much as fellow highly rated teenage centre-backs Pau Cubarsi at Barcelona, Mamadou Sarr at Strasbourg or Real Madrid’s Dean Huijsen, but his stats are impressive.

At 6ft 5in (1.96m) he is exceptional in the air, ranking in the top 10% for aerial duels won in Serie A last season.

At Parma, Leoni played in the middle of the back three or as the right centre-back and, as well as his aerial strength, he is also composed in possession, especially given his lack of experience.

The Hundred women’s competition, Headingley

Birmingham Phoenix 116-6 (100 balls): Arlott 32* (25); Smith 2-18

Northern Superchargers 117-2 (74 balls): Litchfield 59* (28); Arlott 1-19

Superchargers win by eight wickets

Phoebe Litchfield hammered an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls as Northern Superchargers cruised to a clinical eight-wicket win over Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred with 26 balls to spare.

Phoenix looked well positioned to post a challenging total at 44-1 off 30 balls after they had won the toss and decided to bat at Headingley.

However, poor shot selection largely proved their undoing as they lost five wickets for just 15 runs in the next 21 balls.

An unbroken 57-run stand between Emily Arlott, who top scored with an unbeaten 32, and Sterre Kalis ensured Phoenix managed to scrape themselves to a modest total of 116.

Superchargers lost talented 18-year-old opener Davina Perrin for a run-a-ball 14 off the 19th ball of their reply.

But Litchfield looked in good touch as she hammered a half-century off 25 balls and combined with Sutherland – unbeaten on 20 from 13 balls – to guide the Superchargers home in style.

Following scores of four, 22 and five in her first three games, Litchfield had yet to really make much of an impression on this year’s tournament.

On a belting Headingley deck, in glorious sunshine, the 22-year-old Australian delivered a destructive batting display as she made her second career fifty in The Hundred.

Litchfield bristled with intent from ball one and produced some intelligent shots alongside some more unorthodox strokeplay.

Midway through her innings, a powerful reverse pull off Emma Lamb for four was followed by a more conventional chip over the top with the same result.

When Litchfield was joined by compatriot Sutherland at the crease, the outcome of the match became a formality.

Phoenix did help themselves with their fielding, though, as fumbles and poor judgement on the boundary cost them runs.

The game was effectively over by the time Hannah Baker spilled a routine catch in the deep as Phoenix squandered the chance to dismiss Litchfield on 49.

Salford’s Super League game against Wakefield on Sunday has been called off because of “significant” welfare concerns after discussions with the Rugby Football League.

The troubled Red Devils have “reluctantly” decided to cancel the match after being beaten 80-6 at Hull FC in a game where five players made their debuts for the club.

With most of the team’s senior professionals leaving this season because of their financial issues, Salford have had to rely on loanees from other Super League teams.

A club statement said that of the 17 players available for Sunday’s game, only two had appeared at Super League level in the past 12 months.

The RFL board will now decide on the outcome of the fixture next week.

Salford are bottom of the top flight with 19 defeats from their 21 matches this season.

Their owners released a statement on Monday to say the club would not be closing despite their money problems.

Chief operating officer Claire Bradbury resigned from her position on Thursday and alleged the club’s ownership suggested she “sleep with someone at the Rugby Football League” to ease their situation. Salford said they will be “conducting a thorough internal investigation”.

With five games now remaining this season, the club said they have 11 players unavailable through injury but “a number” are expected to be fit for their next fixture against Leigh, scheduled for Friday, 22 August.