Bloody hell! São Paulo enquire about signing Marcos Leonardo | OneFootball

Former Santos player and his father at Morumbi during a Tricolor game (Instagram)

RAFAEL EMILIANO@rafaelemilianoo

What had already become madness on social media turned into local insanity on the morning of this Wednesday (27).

This is because the portal 'Globo Esporte' confirmed that São Paulo's directors approached the team of forward Marcos Leonardo to inquire about the conditions for a potential deal for the 22-year-old player, revealed at rival Santos and currently at Al-Hilal, Saudi Arabia.

The information was not confirmed to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR by any of the sources consulted from São Paulo's football leadership until the publication of this report.

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Valued at 18 million euros (approximately R$ 113.6 million) and with a contract until June 2029 with the billionaire Arabs, the player is far, very far from the profile of signing outlined by the Morumbi club, financially shattered and cutting costs due to the cap imposed by the investment fund.

On the other hand, the hypothesis becomes plausible (at least the dream, come on) because the Brazilian was excluded from the Saudi club's registered list for the season, even being a standout in the last Club World Cup. The plan is to sell him with visibility to recover the 40 million euros (about R$ 252.5 million) paid to Portuguese Benfica at the start of the last European season.

Even so, of course, the team of faith has a fanbase that prefers to dream and pray loudly. Fair enough, after all, we're talking about São Paulo. And the emotion has taken over the internet in the last few hours.

Groups are organizing to invade the profiles of Marcos Leonardo's family and friends showing how happy he would be at Morumbi. And he could finally fulfill his dream of defending the Tricolor.

Yes, according to the detectives, Marcos Leonardo is a São Paulo supporter. It lacks sources, as the photos used to illustrate the statement are, in fact, from when the forward was a mere student at a club school in the countryside and went to watch a game at the Tricolor's home accompanied by his father and teachers (wearing, of course, the uniform).

Either way, Marcos Leonardo's attention the São Paulo fans should at least have, as the topic became one of the most discussed in these early hours of the day.

Without him and two other options (Calleri and Ryan Francisco, who are also at Reffis), Hernán Crespio has to field the attack, as a natural center-forward, the compatriot Dinneno, a name that came from Cruzeiro when the coach was still Luis Zubeldía, who even recommended him to Tricolor (a fact, by the way, that may contribute to his low usage with the new commander).

Besides Dinneno, pieces can be improvised, such as wingers Ferreirinha and Tapia, as well as Luciano, who can play roles like a false 9.

With a spending cap and budget limit, the Tricolor has difficulties going to the market in search of a name to strengthen its ranks. The option is for someone free in the market or arriving on loan. Time is pressing, as the transfer window closes on September 2.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.