Manchester United are now in the race to sign Santos striker Marcos Leonardo, but they may have to move quickly, with AS Roma now pushing to secure his signature, according to reports from Italy.
What's the latest Man United transfer news?
As reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the signing of Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund has now been completed, with the deal announced earlier this weekend.
It will cost United a fee of £64m, plus £8m in add-ons, with the forward agreeing a five-year contract, finally bringing an end to Man United's pursuit of a top striker, which has been one of manager Erik ten Hag's priorities for quite some time.
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Despite having already agreed a deal for Hojlund, United still remain interested in bringing in more attacking options, with reports from Italy detailing they are "very vigilant" about the situation surrounding Leonardo (via Sport Witness).
Roma are now pushing to get a deal for the 20-year-old over the line, so the Red Devils may have to move swiftly if they intend to bring him to Old Trafford, having recently been linked with a move, albeit only in the background as they've focussed on the Hojlund deal.
The Serie A side have no intention of giving up in their pursuit of the youngster, so United are set to face stiff competition if they are to pursue a deal, having now joined the race for his signature.
At the moment, Roma appear to be leading the race for the Santos star, making contact with the Brazilian club to discuss a deal over the past three days, and director of football Tiago Pinto is determined to get a deal over the line.
Who is Marcos Leonardo?
The Brazilian starlet has spent his entire professional career with Santos up to this point, making a name for himself with a very solid goal-scoring record, netting 13 goals in 35 matches during the 2022 Brazilian Serie A campaign.
This season, the youngster is on course to better that return in front of goal, having scored six goals in 12 appearances, during which time he has also picked up two assists.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded the forward as "the king of the penalty area", while also saying that he "has all the tools to become an absolute killer", indicating he poses a huge attacking threat.
However, there are doubts over whether the Santos star would be a worthwhile signing for United, considering he does not offer much else to his side, averaging just 13.47 passes per 90 in the past year, placing him in the sixth percentile compared to players at a similar level.
Leonardo is something of a poacher, who could be a good option for Ten Hag to bring on as a substitute when Man United are chasing a game, but he is probably not a necessary signing.
Given that a deal for Hojlund has been wrapped up, United are now blessed with attacking options, and Ten Hag should instead focus on strengthening other areas of his squad.
