Roma will accelerate talks with Santos to capture the signature of up-and-coming forward Marcos Leonardo at the start of next week. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the Italians are hellbent on closing a long-running dialogue with the Brazilian outfit and securing the youngster’s arrival in January 2024.
Jose Mourinho’s bid to replace long-term absentee Tammy Abraham has encountered numerous roadblocks throughout the summer. Santos initially accepted a €18 million transfer fee, add-ons included, for Leonardo’s switch to Roma. However, the club’s complicated domestic campaign has seen them make a U-turn.
They’ve informed Roma of their ambition to keep hold of the 20-year-old until the winter. Leonardo has agreed to help his boyhood club weather the storm before completing his long-awaited move to the Stadio Olimpico. But an official confirmation has yet to arrive.
Roma will be keen to change that in the coming days. While working on Leonardo’s arrival, Mourinho’s men are holding discussions with Atalanta over Duvan Zapata. The Colombian has emerged as a last-gasp solution for the center-forward crisis in the capital.
After landing El Bilal Toure and Gianluca Scamacca, Gian Piero Gasperini is open to letting the experienced striker go. Atalanta would let Zapata swap allegiances for around €6m, with Roma willing to meet their request. Yet, they’ll need to wait until tomorrow to finalize a deal.
Zapata has made Gasperini’s matchday squad for the opening-week clash against Sassuolo. But he could be unveiled as a new Roma player as early as Tuesday.
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