Roma came within a hair’s width from acquiring Marcos Leonardo last summer. Santos ultimately decided to keep him as they had already sold other talents and were struggling in league play. The Giallorossi were very confident about the purchase being simply postponed after deadline day, but their optimism has progressively waned.
At this stage, the capital club isn’t active in the negotiation and has actually withdrawn from it. That could still change, but they don’t have a lot to spend and have bigger holes in other positions, Corriere dello Sport informs.
The agent of Marcos Leonardo, Rafaela Pimenta, was adamant he’d move across the pond soon and didn’t mention Roma (via Calciomercato). He stopped following them on Instagram. Real Madrid and Newcastle United are in pole position.
“He had the chance to transfer in the previous window already, but Santos were going through a particular situation. He agreed to stay because he wanted to help them until the end of the season. He didn’t want to leave because it wouldn’t have been the right thing to do. But the time for his departure has come now. He wants to transfer to Europe, and it will happen in January.”
Our Take on Roma and Marcos Leonardo
These opportunities are unlikely to resurface if not seized right away. The Giallorossi don’t have a need up front in the short-term and must fix other things instead. On the other hand, the future of their attack is very murky, as a few key contributors are on loan.
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