Official: Parma extends contract with 18-year-old central defender Giovanni Rioni until June 2029

Parma officially announced on Wednesday that it has completed the contract extension with 18-year-old local central defender Giovanni Ryanni. The two parties agreed to extend the contract, which was originally scheduled to expire in 2027, for two years until June 30, 2029.

Giovanni Ryani's contract extension is one of the moves Parma has made to solidify its long-term development plans after extending Alessandro Cercatti's contract. Parma's next step is to fully retain 23-year-old Swiss midfielder Simon Somme, who is being closely watched by Ligue 1 and Premier League clubs.

Giovanni Ryanni came from the Padova youth training and made his first appearance for the first team in the Serie C match against AlbinoLeffe on March 19, 2023. He was then loaned to Sampdoria for half a year and moved permanently to Parma for 5 million euros in August 2024.

On November 9, 2024, Ryanni made his Serie A debut for Parma against Venice. So far, he has played 17 Serie A games for Parma and scored a goal against Cagliari.

After completing the contract extension, Ryanni said: "I have only joined Parma for a few months, but I already regard this place as my home. I like this city very much and our fans are also very good."

“I was extremely excited on the day of my Serie A debut. I firmly believe that Parma is the best place for me to grow and to fully demonstrate the results of my daily efforts with the team. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Chairman Kyle J. Krause and the entire club.”