Arsenal interested in signing £20 million-rated striker labelled as 'really good finisher': Reports

Arsenal are reportedly keen to snap up Santos striker Marcos Leonardo to provide competition to his compatriot Gabriel Jesus this summer.

Leonardo, 20, has established himself as a crucial first-team starter for the Peixe since his professional debut in August 2020. He has also shone in national colours recently, registering five goals and one assist in just five U20 2023 FIFA World Cup appearances.

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal's recruitment team are keeping an eye on Leonardo's growth at Santos. They are interested in signing the £20 million-rated attacker and have him link up with his compatriots Jesus, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Gabriel Martinelli among others.

Leonardo, who has a contract until December 2026 at Santos, has continued his fine scoring form from last year into this time around. He has scored 11 goals and provided four assists in 27 matches across all competitions in 2023 so far. He is averaging a goal contribution at a decent interval of every 154 minutes this year.

Prior to his showcasing of his talent at the senior stage, Leonardo helped himself to more than 100 goals for Santos' youth ranks. He even broke a state record after netting a staggering 36 goals in a single Paulista Under-17 championship, as per the aforementioned outlet.

Heaping praise on Leonardo, U13 coach Gustavo Roma recalled:

"I saw in him a brilliant eye for goal, opportunistic and always well placed. He is a really good finisher, he always manages to be in the middle of every middle, he's very mobile and intense, with great instincts. He doesn't wait for the ball to come to him, he moves to create the best positions and finish, that's why he has so many. He has an eye for goal, he is a killer and born scorer."

Should Leonardo secure a permanent move to Arsenal, he could prove to be a fine addition to their ranks due to his finishing prowess and final-third composure.

He has the untapped potential to jeopardize both Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun's position in the squad hierarchy.

Nketiah is currently the backup striker in the squad and came up with important performances in the league last season. Balogun, was out on loan at Ligue 1 club Reims last season, where he registered 22 goals and three assists in 39 games for the French club.

Arsenal transfer target opens up on dream

Earlier last year, Arsenal target Marcos Leonardo claimed that he is keen to feature in the Premier League in the future. He told the Mirror:

"I want to play in the Premier League one day. 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."

With Arsenal set to be back in the UEFA Champions League after a gap of over six years, they are well-positioned to sign Leonardo ahead of another team. However, they will probably be unable to hand him enough minutes due to established first-team starters already present at the club.

Overall, Leonardo has scored 44 goals and contributed 11 assists in 146 matches across all competitions for his boyhood club Santos.