In a recent report, Fichajes stated that Arsenal could move in for Santos forward Marcos Leonardo next year. It has been claimed that the Gunners are eyeing a move to bring the Brazilian youngster to North London in 2024.
Leonardo’s Impressive Rise In Brazilian Football
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise at the Brazilian club and has firmly established himself as a key member of their attack. Leonardo has made 156 senior appearances for Santos thus far, finding the back of the net 52 times and securing 11 assists in all competitions.
The gifted striker has caught the eye with his offensive contributions as he is averaging 2.7 shots, 1.0 key passes and 0.7 dribbles per game in the Brasileirao. He has even been accurate when distributing possession from inside his half after completing 77% of his attempted passes in the Brazilian first division (stats via whoscored).
His current deal at Santos will expire at the end of 2026. Hence, the Gunners will have to launch a convincing offer if they are serious about signing Leonardo next year.
Arsenal Could Move In For Leonardo: Is He A Prospect For The Future?
Leonardo can engineer a yard of space for himself to get a few strikes in at goal. He has got the vision to create some meaningful openings for his teammates up top. The Brazilian sensation is a decent dribbler with the ball as well. He is primarily a centre-forward but can also serve as a secondary forward if needed.
At 20, the future looks quite promising for Leonardo as long as he continues to improve his all-round game with each season.
Hence, Leonardo would be an excellent, long-term acquisition for the Gunners to pull off in 2024. He is already good enough to offer some decent competition for Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus at the Emirates Stadium.
However, only time will tell whether the Brazilian whizkid can adapt to the physical side and high intensity of Premier League football. Still, there is no denying that Leonardo is a prospect to watch out for in the future. Thus, Mikel Arteta would be wise to go all out to lure him to the North London club this January or at the end of this campaign.
