Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Parma defender Giovanni Leoni.

An agreement was reached late on Wednesday night and the fee for the 18-year-old defender is £26m plus add-ons.

Leoni now has permission to travel to Liverpool to agree personal terms and undergo a medical, which is expected to begin on Thursday.

Liverpool saw off competition from elite Italian clubs and Premier League sides, with the player adamant his choice was a move to Arne Slot’s side.

Leoni will also immediately join the first-team set-up for this season, with any suggestion of a loan move completely ruled out.

Liverpool were targeting reinforcements at centre-back with Ibrahima Konate entering the final year of his deal at Anfield.

What is the latest on Guehi?

Liverpool remain in talks for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi and are favourites to sign the England international.

The question is whether they can negotiate a fee now or wait to sign him as a free agent next summer.

Sky Sports News previously reported there was a gap in valuation between the two Premier League sides.

Palace will not let their captain go on the cheap and Liverpool know they can wait until next summer to sign him on a free transfer.

If the situation does not change, it looks likely as things stand that Guehi will stay at Crystal Palace and leave on a free transfer next summer.

Liverpool’s transfer business goes above £300m

Liverpool’s £26m deal to Leoni is set to take the Reds’ spending above £300m this summer.

Leoni will be the sixth major signing for Arne Slot’s Premier League champions this season – with their business set to come to £321.5m in paid transfer fees so far.

That fee is currently the third-biggest transfer outlay from a Premier League club in a single window.

And if Liverpool complete a deal to sign Alexander Isak, which could cost well above £100m – then the Reds could become the biggest summer transfer spenders of all time.

Sky Sports to show 215 live Premier League games this season

From this season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.

And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games this season will be on Sky Sports.