U-turn! Marcos Leonardo packed his bags, but ex-Benfica man’s going nowhere | OneFootball

After all, Marcos Leonardo did not head to Atlético de Madrid. According to reports, the Spanish capital’s club gave up on signing the former Benfica striker, contrary to what was initially reported. The reason, according to sources, was not related to the transfer fee.

As reported by Correio da Manhã, the Colchoneros, led by Diego Simeone, did not move forward with the signing of the Al Hilal striker due to the period of significant instability currently affecting the Saudi league, where the Public Investment Fund (PIF) has been the target of harsh criticism.

Apparently, Atlético de Madrid already had everything agreed with Al Hilal for the transfer of Marcos Leonardo. The same source explained that the Spanish club would receive the Brazilian on loan until the end of the season, with a purchase option set at around 40 million euros.

With the deal falling through, the Madrid team quickly found a solution. Yesterday afternoon, the club announced the arrival of Ademola Lookman to strengthen Diego Simeone’s squad. The Nigerian forward joins from Atalanta, a club competing in Serie A.

This season, wearing the Al Hilal shirt, Marcos Leonardo — valued at 20 million euros — played a total of 24 official matches: 15 in the Saudi league, six in the Asian Champions League, and three in the Saudi King’s Cup. In the 1,628 minutes he spent on the pitch, the Brazilian scored 14 goals and provided one assist.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.