Last December 6, he got to know San Siro coming on as a substitute; soon he could make his entrance as a protagonist: a leap that does not frighten the young Leoni, one of the best new faces in the Italian defensive landscape. Allegri has noticed him, and Max, as he demonstrated in recent days at Coverciano, is a professor in the subject: he focuses on the strength and solidity of the defensive unit, the foundation on which he built his successes. Leoni has a beastly physique: 195 centimeters and 76 kilos, a build that at 18 years old can still be developed. His technical and tactical formation is also still perfectible, and the new Rossoneri coach would like to personally take care of that, as he sees further untapped potential to be brought out.
Numbers
At Parma, a roaring second half of the season on the front line: 17 appearances and 1 goal, totaling 1,205 minutes of play. Fourteen starts, 43 duels won, and 88% passing accuracy: that’s why there are several clubs who would like to have him on their team, from Juventus and Inter to the Premier League. At Milan, there's one more resource: Allegri. Max handles young defenders with care, and Leoni could follow in the footsteps of Bonucci, Barzagli, and Chiellini. In a top-tier club as well as in the new era of the national team. Allegri's presence could also help during negotiations: due to their shared past at Juventus, Max and Federico Cherubini, Parma’s CEO, have an excellent relationship.
Negotiation
Certainly, much, much more will be needed: beyond friendship and mutual respect, it will take at least twenty to twenty-five million euros to convince Parma and overcome the competition. One obstacle at a time: the American ownership of the Gialloblù club has no need to sell, so they will only consider truly substantial offers. The rest will be a derby or a showdown among Italy’s big clubs, but international competition isn’t excluded either, with English teams ready to step onto the field. Milan’s first offer could be structured at 13–15 million plus a player in return: Parma would prefer only cash, unless they particularly like the player involved. Milan would have identified him as Lorenzo Colombo, back from his loan at Empoli. A powerful center-forward who could be useful in Emilia after the departure of Bonny, who’s heading to Milan but to the Nerazzurri side. It’s also not excluded that the Rossoneri could increase the strictly financial part of the offer—but for that, a current defender would have to leave first. In fact, a departure in the defensive department becomes necessary regardless: Milan could cash in with Tomori, who was valued at 25 million by Juventus and Tottenham last winter, or with Thiaw, who is liked by Leverkusen and could be included in the Xhaka deal. They are the likely candidates—not Gabbia, the only real Italian quota currently in the squad. Nor Pavlovic, who has the characteristics that could suit Allegri. The club’s philosophy, in this case, might even allow an exception to the rule: Leoni is very young but already a safe investment. A 2006-born talent who already has experience in Serie B with Sampdoria and in Serie A with Parma: one goal scored against Cagliari and many other solid performances against more seasoned attackers.
Looking into Leoni's profile...
Leoni can already be considered part of the larger Azzurri group to be evaluated by the new national team coach: so far, he has only played in youth teams, with one appearance for the Under-18s and seven for the Under-19s. Milan would be a major step forward, with a coach particularly devoted to defenders. Despite only two all-Italian competitions—league and Coppa Italia—there would still be plenty of playing time: the center-back group will not exceed four players, and there will be minutes available for everyone. Time is also a decisive factor in beating the competition, who, like Milan, smell the opportunity: officially, they’re working without particular urgency, but in reality, CEO Furlani and new sporting director Tare are fully operational on all fronts. Including Leoni, for whom a preview of the league's big clashes—Milan vs Inter and Juventus—may come early. With an extra Allegri in the mix.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport
