According to the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni has addressed concerns about changes to his physique, stating that exaggerated photos circulating on social media were AI-generated.
The 19-year-old has been training to regain fitness during his injury layoff, recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.
Leoni was stretchered off last September during his Liverpool debut against Southampton, his first appearance for the club. The defender, who joined from Parma for £26 million, is now close to returning to full training.
During his absence, Leoni has focused on improving his physical strength to adapt to the demands of English football. However, the attention on the Italian player's new physique also led to AI-generated images of the Liverpool centre-back going viral on social media.
While Leoni's efforts in the gym have indeed led to noticeable changes, these fabricated images greatly exaggerated the transformation. The former Parma player revealed he had to explain the truth to friends, telling them the AI pictures were not real.
"My friends keep sending it to me," Leoni said on Liverpool's YouTube channel. "I have to tell them, 'It's AI.' Of course, I've been in the gym for 10 months, but that's AI—you can tell."
Teammate Conor Bradley, who was sitting next to him at the time, quipped, "They're not AI, mate."
Both players have been recovering from long-term injuries simultaneously, fostering a strong relationship. Bradley suffered a serious knee injury in January, and Leoni valued sharing the recovery process with the Northern Ireland captain.
"Since he got injured, we've been together a lot because of rehabilitation," Leoni said. "We have a good relationship, and we get to know each other better every day. I'm really happy to have such a good relationship with him."
During Leoni's injury layoff, Liverpool's centre-back options also changed. Jagüelka joined from Rennes, Araujo arrived on loan from Barcelona, and Konate joined Real Madrid after his contract expired this summer.
The 19-year-old is eager to impress new manager Arne Slot and make up for lost time after an injury-interrupted season. Nevertheless, Leoni showed maturity when reflecting on his Liverpool debut in the League Cup, which lasted 81 minutes before injury forced him off.
"That was my first time playing at Anfield, in front of my fans and teammates," Leoni stated. "I played a good game, and then I suffered that injury. Looking back, I can say I was happy to make my debut in front of the fans."
He continued: "After that, I received many messages and a lot of support from the fans. I just want to say thank you to everyone. From day one until now, I have stayed here because I wanted to complete my rehabilitation with the physiotherapists here. In terms of relationships and learning English, it was also the best choice, so I decided to stay with my Liverpool teammates."
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