Parma’s teenage centre-back Giovanni Leoni has emerged as certainly one of Serie A’s most intriguing defensive prospects – and it’s no shock that Liverpool on a deal for the 18-year-old.
Final season, Leoni loved a breakthrough marketing campaign, incomes plaudits for his composure in possession and skill to learn the sport. However a more in-depth take a look at the info from fbref.com by way of Opta, in contrast with different defenders in Italy’s high flight, paints a fuller image of the place he stands.
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A percentile reveals how a participant compares to others in the identical place. For instance, being within the eightieth percentile for a stat means they carry out higher than 80% of their friends in that space.
One aspect the place he ranks very extremely is successful aerial duels. Right here he ranks within the 93rd percentile, which means he very not often loses them, albeit maybe Serie A will not be on the physicality of the Premier League.
The chart under reveals he has additionally carried out strongly in metrics akin to clearances and passes blocked, maybe a sign of his alertness and positional consciousness.
The centre-back averages 4.73 clearances per 90 minutes. Nonetheless, these numbers are affected by the actual fact Parma don’t dominate the ball so their defence is required to work tougher in consequence.
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Leoni’s cross completion sits on the 61st percentile which suggests he’s snug retaining possession, however will be inaccurate when distributing from the again. In Arne Slot’s system, the place centre-backs are sometimes tasked with initiating assaults underneath strain, refining that consistency may very well be a key a part of his improvement.
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His figures for challenges misplaced are additionally notable. This factors to a participant nonetheless creating his power and studying of one-on-one conditions. It might additionally replicate the truth that, as a younger defender, he’s nonetheless studying when to commit and when to carry his place.
For now, the statistics inform the story of a participant on the rise, and if the transfer is accomplished, Anfield may very well be the stage on which he fulfils his potential.