Liverpool signed Giovanni Leoni from Parma just under a month ago, and they already appear to have eyes on a similar coup for 2026.
The 18-year-old defender joined the Reds in a £26m deal on the eve of the new Premier League season, and although he’s yet to make his debut for Arne Slot’s side (it’s earmarked for the Carabao Cup tie against Southampton), he’s come to Merseyside with a lofty reputation in his native Italy.
It seems that the Anfield hierarchy are now plotting a potential move for another teenage centre-back who’s been catching the eye in Europe of late.
Liverpool among high-profile suitors for Aaron Bouwman
According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are among several leading European clubs to have scouted Ajax prodigy Aaron Bouwman, who made his senior debut for the Amsterdam giants last month shortly before his 18th birthday and is also wanted by Chelsea, Barcelona and both Manchester sides.
The 6 foot 2 defender is understood to have impressed in that fixture against Telstar, and he’s already been earmarked to ‘join the lineage’ of great Dutch centre-backs such as his idol, a certain Virgil van Dijk.
In response to the growing interest from overseas, the Ajax hierarchy are seeking to enter talks over a new contract for the teenager, whose current deal runs to 2027.
(Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
What qualities could Bouwman offer to Liverpool?
The report from TEAMtalk describes Bouwman as ‘a potential world-class talent’ who offers a ‘blend of physicality, technical prowess and tactical intelligence’ and has also stood out for his intelligent reading of the game and his ball distribution – very much like a younger clone of Van Dijk.
The 18-year-old can also make an impact in the opposition’s penalty box, having started out as a striker in the Ajax academy and scored a fantastic goal in a friendly win over Celtic in July.
The current Liverpool captain will be almost 36 by the end of his current contract in June 2027, and as much as we dread the thought of it, there’ll come a point in the foreseeable future where he’s no longer at Anfield.
Unlike Leoni, who already had the bulk of a full season in Parma’s first team before he joined the Reds, Bouwman is still quite raw, with only one senior appearance to his name thus far.
He wouldn’t yet be ready for a place in Slot’s squad, but considering the quantity and stature of the clubs who are tracking him, he’s evidently a player with enormous potential.
His name could be one to keep an eye out for over the course of this season, and we expect that there’ll be a few more scouting missions from Liverpool as they seek out another prodigious centre-back talent from Europe.
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