An update has emerged on reported Aston Villa transfer target Marcos Leonardo ahead of the start of the 2023/24 campaign…
What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Roma have been unable to agree a fee with Santos for the Brazilian forward and their deal for him is on 'standby' for now.
The report claims that the Serie A side will continue to negotiate with them in order to find a solution to sign the talented number nine before the end of the summer transfer window.
Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…
Leonardo, who has reportedly been valued at €15m (£13m) by his club, has also attracted interest from Premier League sides Nottingham Forest and Villa, although he is said to prefer a move to Italy at this moment in time.
It now remains to be seen whether or not the Villans will go in with an official offer in an attempt to beat off competition from the other two teams.
How good is Marcos Leonardo?
The 20-year-old striker is an outstanding young talent who could be the dream heir to Ollie Watkins at Villa Park if Unai Emery and Monchi are able to usurp Roma in the race for his signature.
Leonardo, who only turned 20 in May, has already scored 47 first-team goals for Santos, and his statistics since the start of last year suggest that he has the potential to eventually replace the England international as the Spanish head coach's first-choice striker.
The Brazil U20 international has scored 35 goals in 87 appearances in 2022 and 2023 combined for his club, which works out as a strike every 2.49 matches on average. He has also scored once every other outing for Santos in the Serie A this year with six in 12 clashes.
Watkins, meanwhile, is coming off the back of 15 goals in 37 Premier League games for the Villans last season, which is one every 2.47 appearances on average. That came after the former Brentford man racked up 11 strikes in 35 for Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard during the 2021/22 campaign.
This suggests that the Brazilian dynamo, who scored five goals in five U20 World Cup appearances this year, could offer a similar level of production in front of goal if he is able to translate his form over the last 18 months for Santos over to English football this season, or in the future.
U23 scout Antonio Manga claimed Leonardo has "frightening" pace and "plays without fear", which could also make him an ideal heir to Watkins due to the current Villa man's knack for using his pace to make runs in behind to stretch defences and to creates for himself.
There is no guarantee that he will be able to replicate his success in his home country in the Premier League but his superb statistics for Santos are eye-catching and the £13m-rated gem appears to be a worthwhile gamble for the club to make.
If Leonardo can adapt to football in England and chip in with goals on a regular basis then he could be the dream long-term heir to Watkins, who is seven years older than him.
