Marcos Leonardo pushes for São Paulo move, deal rests on one factor | OneFootball

The forward was the top scorer of the FIFA Club World Cup and would fit like a glove at Tricolor (Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

MARCIO MONTEIRO

@avantmtricolor

Nothing like one day after another in football. After the initial talks between São Paulo and striker Marcos Leonardo didn’t generate much excitement, the signing progressed in the last hours of this Sunday (31) and the dream is getting closer and closer to becoming reality.

The agreement for the reinforcement, on loan until the end of the year, depends only on a few details still to be accepted by Al Hilal, the current club of the Brazilian top scorer.

Everything is coming together to finally help Tricolor get their long-awaited number 9 to make up for the loss of their three injured players – André Silva, Ryan Francisco, and Calleri. The Saudi club couldn’t make room on their list of eight foreign players and did not register Marcos Leonardo in the national league.

TRICOLOR HEART SPOKE LOUDER

The 22-year-old never hid that he was a São Paulo fan as a child, and his heart weighed in. Aware of the negotiations, he stood his ground and showed great interest in wearing the Tricolor shirt, also thinking about the great possibility of being called up again for the Brazilian National Team, as the final preparations for the 2026 World Cup approach. His name was linked to other domestic and European clubs interested in the player.

The player gave up a large part of his earnings to make the deal happen, Al Hilal is already aware and agrees with the financial terms of the negotiation, with only a few details of the transaction left to be confirmed to São Paulo by the Arab team.

With three days left before the transfer window closes, Tricolor was already pessimistic about being able to bring in a replacement for the attack after failed initial attempts with Marcelo Ryan, Pedro Rocha, and Marcos Leonardo himself, before the turnaround in the case.

Leonardo has been standing out in the ‘Arab world’. He was one of the highlights of Al Hilal’s campaign in the Club World Cup and finished as the tournament’s top scorer, with four goals in five matches. For the club, he has 49 appearances, 29 goals, and three assists in total. He was signed for a hefty sum from Benfica in September 2024, for 40 million euros, with a contract until June 2029.

He would come to São Paulo to solve everyone’s problem: Tricolor, who needs a center forward; the player, who needs to play to be remembered by Carlo Ancelotti; and Al Hilal, who couldn’t register the star and doesn’t lose the visibility of their asset in the market.

São Paulo is in the market for a center forward after the serious injury to André Silva was confirmed, who may only return to play next year.

Without him and two other options (Calleri and Ryan Francisco, who are also in Reffis), Hernán Crespio has, as a natural center forward to field in attack, his compatriot Dinneno, a name who arrived from Cruzeiro when the coach was still Luis Zubeldía, who actually recommended him to Tricolor (a fact, by the way, that may contribute to his limited use under the new manager).

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

With a spending cap and budget limit, Tricolor is having difficulties going to the market in search of a name to strengthen its ranks. The option is for someone free on the market or who arrives on loan. Time is running out, 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.