Arsenal are interested in Marcos Leonardo amid his impressive performances at the u20 World Cup, with Santos expecting bids imminently.
The Daily Mail report that Santos centre-forward Marcos Leonardo is attracting attention from a number of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United, and West Ham United.
West Ham already made one attempt to sign Leonardo in January, but their offer was rejected. They’re now expected to try again this summer.
Santos are expecting bids in the coming days, with Leonardo’s exploits at the u20 World Cup drawing attention.
Leonardo has started all four of the Brazil u20s’ matches at the tournament so far, scoring four goals and assisting one.
The 20-year-old has been playing alongside Arsenal’s Marquinhos at the event, with Marquinhos also starting all four games and setting up one of Leonardo’s goals.
In terms of his club form this year, Leonardo has scored eight goals and assisted three in 21 appearances for Santos.
The Brazilian season operates on a calendar-year basis, and the striker scored 21 goals and assisted six in 57 games in 2022.
That had already drawn Arsenal’s attention, with reports from last October listing the Gunners as one of the clubs following his progress.
At the time, Leonardo admitted he was a fan of the Premier League, and would like to play in it in the future.
“I want to play in the Premier League one day,” Leonardo said. “I watch a lot of games, and it is one of the main championships in the world.
“Not only for the competition among the teams, but also for the whole league. The proof is that English clubs always arrive in finals like the Champions League. It’s a competition full of big stars.”
Before that, however, Leonardo had his sights set on being a success with Santos and breaking into the Brazilian national team.
“First of all, I want to make history with the Santos shirt,” he continued. “Then I want to manage to get to the Brazilian national team.
“I’m doing well in the youth categories, but my focus is on having the chance to represent my country in a World Cup, wearing the number 9 shirt.
“I believe these are my two biggest goals at the moment. I want to play in Europe, but I see that I have to complete stages before any kind of opportunity to do that.”
Leonardo’s impressive performances with the Brazil u20s seem to be setting him on the right track to achieve his goals.