According to a Spanish media Transfers, Arsenal have accelerated their interest in signing Benfica striker Marcos Leonardo after submitting a £26m offer.
Leonardo was linked with a possible move to the Gunners in January, but Benfica won the race to sign him from Santos. Since then, the 20-year-old has made 10 substitute appearances for the Portuguese champions, but has been hugely impressive with 4 goals and 1 assist.
according to TransfersLeonardo has managed to attract the attention of top-level European clubs with his performances at Benfica. Arsenal appear to have taken advantage and have submitted an offer of £26 million plus add-ons to Benfica for the striker.
Benfica is willing to wait until the end of the season to evaluate the player based on his evolution.
Good potential
Leonardo had a good 2023 season with Brazilian giant Santos. He found the back of the net 21 times in 49 games and recorded 4 assists. Benfica moved quickly to get his signature £15 million. The youngster has yet to start a game under coach Roger Schmidt, but he has made his mark from the bench, scoring 4 goals in just 145 minutes. His goalscoring exploits may have convinced the Gunners.
Arsenal currently have players like Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as specialist forwards, but neither have been consistent enough. Jesus has fared better than Nketiah for the London giants, but the Brazilian's injury problems have greatly limited his playing time. Manager Mikel Arteta He will want a new forward for next season. It remains to be seen if there is any truth to the speculations about Leonardo.
Leonardo has a similar playing style to Jesus with his work rate and movement in and around the box. His distribution still needs to improve, but he has been brilliant in his finishing. Leonardo has scored since 4 of his 6 shots on goal in the Portuguese top category. He would be a surprise signing for Arsenal, who have been linked with higher profile strikers such as Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen in recent weeks.
