Manchester United are reportedly keeping tabs on Santos forward, Marcos Leonardo, with manager Erik ten Hag seemingly keen to strengthen his attacking options even further amid the signing of Danish marksman, Rasmus Hojlund.
According to Italian outlet Calciomercato.it, the Red Devils are believed to be ‘very vigilant’ regarding the youngster’s situation at present, the club set to have to do battle with Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma side for the 20-year-old’s signature.
As per the report, those at the Stadio Olimpico have been in constant contact with the Brazilian outfit in the hope of winning the race, albeit with this coming after prior reports that indicated a potential move to Serie A had stalled.
If either side is able to get a deal over the line, the belief is that the Brazil U20 international would command a fee of just €15m (£13m), despite still having over three years left on his current contract.
What type of player is Marcos Leonardo?
It is perhaps clear to see why clubs across Europe are fighting it out to sign the in-demand sensation, with the 5 foot 9 striker having caught the eye after racking up 149 senior appearances to date despite his relative youth, chipping in with an impressive haul of 47 goals and 11 assists in that time.
With 14 goals in just 30 appearances so far in the current campaign in his homeland, Leonardo is certainly doing enough to warrant those admiring glances, with talent scout Jacek Kulig having described him as a player who is simply “born to score”.
That is also the verdict of South American football expert, Tim Vickery, with the respected insider having likened the emerging superstar to a player that has 184 Premier League goals to his name – Sergio Aguero: “There is a kind of Aguero-type striker there, he is not particularly tall but comes alive in the penalty box and I think there is talent there as well.”
Perhaps more notably for those of a United persuasion, the Itapetinga-born hotshot has also previously been compared to former Old Trafford flop, Radamel Falcao in the past by Kulig, having been hailed as a ‘complete forward’.
Of course, that comparison may spark some concern among those at the Theatre of Dreams, with Falcao having endured an underwhelming year-long loan stint at the club during the 2014/15 campaign, after scoring just four goals in only 29 outings under Louis van Gaal’s watch.
The Colombian veteran – who also scored just one goal in 12 games in the following season at Chelsea – was not able to make his mark in English football, albeit while having made the move to Manchester after suffering a serious knee injury the season prior which perhaps inhibited his influence.
While young Leonardo may also find it hard to catch fire in the Premier League, that likeness to Falcao is still perhaps something of a positive, with the 37-year-old a notable figure to be compared to such has been his stellar goal record throughout his career to date.
A truly formidable figure in his pomp, the Rayo Vallecano man notably hit 72 goals in just 87 games for Porto, 70 goals in just 91 outings for Atletico Madrid and 83 goals in 140 games for Monaco, having been a typically reliable presence through the middle wherever he has been.
Much like Leonardo, the 5 foot 10 machine also began his career in South American football, enjoying a similar record to the youngster’s current return at Santos, after bagging 45 goals in 113 appearances for Argentine giants, River Plate.
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