Early morning breaking news: Arsenal set to seal £69m deal for Brazilian wonderkid, personal terms is not an issue as player is a Boyhood friend of Gabriel Martinelli
Arsenal are preparing an opening bid to sign Santos striker Marcos Leonardo ahead of Manchester United, according to Brazilian outlet R7.
The Gunners have been linked with the 20-year-old on multiple occasions this year and they are now weighing up an opening offer for him.
R7 report that the north London giants have ‘entered strongly’ in the race for the striker. They are readying a €17 million (£15.5m) bid to sign him next month.
United have also been credited with an interest in the young centre-forward, but they are only monitoring his situation and are not planning an approach.
Meanwhile, Leonardo has already revealed his desire to leave Santos after their relegation from the Brazilian Serie A. He won’t report for their pre-season starting from January 6.
Santos are also aware of his current stance and they are prepared to allow him to leave this winter, provided they receive most of the fee up front.
Arsenal should look at a more high-profile striker
Leonardo has made a huge impression for Santos in the last two seasons. He netted 21 goals in 2022/23 and achieved the same goal tally in the recent campaign.
Despite this, we are unsure whether he would make an instant impact. The youngster has yet to play in Europe and may struggle to adapt to the higher intensity.
He has impressed with his work rate and finishing skills, but the Gunners should look at someone more experience to enhance their prospect of winning the league.
Brentford’s Ivan Toney would be an ideal choice but a deal could be difficult to pull off. Brentford are likely to demand a significant fee of more than £80m.
Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy could be a surprise option for the Gunners amid his exceptional form in Germany. He has netted 18 goals from just 14 games.
The Guinea international has a low release clause of €17.5m (£15m) in his contract. If he can replicate the same form, Arsenal could genuinely lift the league title.
