Everton see their bid rejected for €14 million Brazilian forward

Everton are trying to sign at least one centre forward in the winter transfer window in a bid to provide support to the current crop of strikers. Santos striker Marcos Leonardo has emerged as a target for the Toffees.

Strikers Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Neal Maupay have scored just two league goals in 1356 minutes of Premier League football. The shockingly poor returns from the striking department meant that the Toffees have had a goalscoring issue the whole season. One of the consequences is that Everton are in the relegation zone and have scored just 15 goals, which is the second lowest tally in the league right now.

Everton have been linked to several strikers in January but so far no move has materialized. Targets like Danny Ings have joined another club. Duvan Zapata is also not for sale or available on loan as Atalanta manager Giampaolo Gasperini counts on the Colombian. Bologna striker Marko Arnautovic is a player that EFC like but the Serie A side is reluctant to sell the 33 year old.

With the arrival of Sean Dyche as the manager, links to Che Adams have also emerged. Coventry striker Viktor Gyokeres is also on the Dyche’s shortlist as negotiations for Sheffield United striker Iliman Ndiaye have broken down after the Senegalese striker decided to stay at Bramall Lane until the end of the season.

Everton bid for Marcos Leonardo rejected

According to Tutto Mercato Web, Santos striker Leonardo has also attracted the attention of Everton. The 19 year old signed his professional contract in 2020 and has been a hot prospect to look out for since then. In his first season with the Santos senior team, Leonardo netted five goals in the Brazilian A.

Last season was a big breakthrough for him as Leonardo scored 21 goals and provided six assists in 57 games for Santos. He also became the starting striker for the team and was relentless in the Brazilian League, scoring 13 goals and ending up as the fifth top scorer in the league.

A number of sides from Europe have been tracking Leonardo since his last season’s exploits. As per the report, Santos have rejected a bid for Leonardo from Everton as the Brazilian side have changed their transfer policy.

Kaio Jorge was sold to Juventus last summer but the Brazilian has struggled for game time in Turin. The patella rupture meant that he couldn’t be loaned out last summer and has been a frustrated figure at the club. Taking Jorge’s case as a point of reference, Santos have decided to not sell a player if he cannot have a direct role in the team.

If EFC did sign Leonardo, it is still unlikely that the 19 year old would have gotten a starting role at Goodison Park as he is still a work in progress and hasn’t proven himself in the Premier League. The transition would have been slow and Everton cannot afford that as they need a ruthless goal scorer to help them in this relegation battle.

Would Marcos Leonardo have been a good attacking option?