Tottenham favourites for deadly £55m Brazilian striker move that’ll delight De Zerbi | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as frontrunners for the signing of Brazilian goalscorer Marcos Leonardo, as per a report, and he is not the only striker they have been linked with following the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi.

The Italian was initially hesitant about taking over before the end of the season, as he wanted to wait until the summer before deciding his next move. However, Tottenham convinced De Zerbi to join immediately and try to save them from relegation.

De Zerbi has seven games to maintain Tottenham’s top-flight status, starting with a trip to Sunderland on April 12.

Spurs are clearly confident he will help them avoid the drop, having given the former Brighton boss a five-year contract.

There is already plenty of talk about which players could join Spurs if they avoid the drop.

According to Brazilian outlet RTI Esporte, Spurs have overtaken Brazilian clubs Flamengo and Sao Paulo in the chase for Al-Hilal hitman Leonardo.

The centre-forward is ‘on Spurs’ radar’ as they are ‘closely monitoring’ his situation ahead of making a potential bid this summer.

The chances of Leonardo returning to Brazil have dipped as such clubs will struggle to afford his £55million price tag. Such a fee is within Spurs’ reach, though, setting up a possible move to north London.

Al-Hilal signed Leonardo from Benfica for €40m in September 2024 and are open to a sale so they can bring in more big names.

Leonardo has developed a reputation as a lethal striker, having hit 106 goals in 264 games throughout his senior career so far.

That includes 15 strikes from 29 appearances for Al-Hilal so far this season.

Spurs are on the hunt for a new No 9 who can help out the likes of Dominic Solanke and Richarlison. Loanee Randal Kolo Muani is expected to return to parent club Paris Saint-Germain, while first-choice striker Solanke missed a large chunk of the season due to ankle surgery.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is another striker De Zerbi is considering for Spurs. De Zerbi has a great relationship with the 36-year-old following their time together at Marseille.

But the move would be controversial given Aubameyang used to captain Arsenal. Plus, Aubameyang’s age means it would not be a signing for the long term.