West Ham are one of six clubs interested in signing Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni, according to reports in the Italian media.

Up until now, Inter Milan have been regarded as favourites for the 18-year-old but they currently do not have the funds to match the player’s €35m (£30m) asking price.

The Corriere Dello Sport claim that the Nerazzurri could lose out on Leoni if they do not make their move soon, with the Hammers, Liverpool, Tottenham, AC Milan and Juventus also pursuing the defender.

It has been a rapid rise for the teenager, who only joined Parma from Sampdoria last summer.

What do fans need to know about Leoni?

The centre-half made his debut for Padova before quickly being snapped up by Sampdoria (initially on loan). He caught the eye playing in Italy’s second tier, and within a couple of months of moving to Genoa on a permanent basis, he was signed by Parma last August.

Leoni made 17 appearances for the Serie A side during the 2024/25 campaign, finishing the season as a regular starter despite his young age.

Why do West Ham want him?

Head coach Graham Potter does have four centre-backs at his disposal currently, with Nayef Aguerd having rejoined the first-team squad following his return from Real Sociedad.

However, many feel that Aguerd and Konstantinos Mavropanos (in particular) don’t possess the requisite quality to be regular starters in the Premier League.

In that context, bringing in another centre-half would make sense, but you can’t see the Irons paying £30m for a youngster who is untested in English football. It would be taking a huge gamble on someone who may have bags of potential but possesses very little experience at the top level.

In other news, a West Ham transfer target has spoken out about his future, following speculation that he could join the Hammers for £40m