Newcastle United in talks with Brazilian wonderkid dubbed 'natural goalscorer': report
Newcastle United are looking to bring another striker to the club in January
Newcastle United want to add even more attacking talent to their already stacked squad in January.
Eddie Howe already has Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson to choose from as his main strikers, with Harvey Barnes, Miguel Almiron, Anthony Gordon, Jacob Murphy and Joelinton all impressive in forward areas.
That hasn't stopped Newcastle United from looking to make January additions, however, as the Magpies aim to progress further in Europe and climb the Premier League table even more.
As a result, Newcastle have started negotiating with Santos over the potential signing of Marcos Leonardo, according to Portuguese outlet UOL.
The 20-year-old Brazilian has scored 21 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions for Santos in the 2023 campaign, despite the side struggling in 16th in Brazil's Serie A. With two-and-a-half years remaining on his current deal, Leonardo is valued at £25m by Santos, a relatively low fee for someone who has been described as a "natural goalscorer".
Indeed, football talent scout Jacek Kulig has highlighted Leonardo's ability for some time now, suggesting he is "another Menino da Vila with a big future ahead". Ousting Isak and Wilson from the Newcastle team would prove difficult, but Leonardo certainly has time on his side.
The striker is also seemingly desperate for a Premier League move, too, telling the Mirror in June 2022 that he believes his style suits the intense nature of English football.
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“I want to play in the Premier League one day,” he said. “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.”
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Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.