Arsenal handed boost in Marcos Leonardo transfer pursuit

Arsenal have the opportunity to sign Marcos Leonardo for a bargain price following Santos’ historic relegation from the Brazilian Serie A.

Santos recently suffered a shock relegation for the first time in their 111-year history and this is likely to pave the way for several high-profile exits.

Leonardo is one of those keen on pursuing a new challenge and Goal Brasil claim that he could be available on the cheap after Santos’ setback.

The Brazilian giants were looking for at least €15 million for the striker earlier this year, but may have to sell for less after dropping to the second tier.

Arsenal have already made an ‘enquiry’ for Leonardo. In our view, they must now take advantage of the opportunity to sign the highly-rated striker.

Leonardo could supplement Gunners’ strike force

The Gunners currently have Gabriel Jesus as the main number nine. When he has been unavailable, Leandro Trossard and Eddie Nketiah have led the attack.

The trio have netted a combined 18 goals between them in the campaign and the club are not in a desperate situation to sign a marquee striker in January.

Arsenal may also not afford one with the tight Financial Fair Play situation. We believe Leonardo should be signed to supplement the strike force this winter.

Leonardo netted 21 goals across all competitions for Santos last term. It was the second-straight campaign where he managed to achieve the same tally.

The youngster is unlikely to be a starter for the Gunners, but could offer the firepower off the bench as the Gunners look to challenge for the Premier League title.

An alternative to Leonardo would be Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy, who has netted 18 goals from just 14 games. He has a low €17.5m release clause in his contract.

Judging by Arsenal’s transfer policy, they may prefer a young striker with huge potential over someone, who had not netted more than 14 goals before this season.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com