Marcos Leonardo: Profile, playing style, scouting report

Marcos Leonardo has scored 30 goals in Brazilian Serie A

Santos have long been a famed producer of striking talent. From the likes of Pele, Coutinho, and Pepe during the club’s golden era in the 1960s to more recent stars such as Robinho, Neymar, and Rodrygo, the Vila Belmiro has always been a fertile breeding ground for young forwards.

Marcos Leonardo is also a product of the famous Santos Youth Academy. Since coming onto the scene and developing in the youth categories of the team, he’s always been about goals. As of now, many top European clubs want to sign him; surely he can be the next big thing from Brazil.

Past experience

On October 23, 2019, he signed his first professional contract with the club, agreeing to a three-year deal. Marcos made his professional and Campeonato Brasileiro debut on August 20, coming on as a second-half substitute for Yeferson Soteldo in a 1-0 away win against Sport Recife. He scored his first professional goal on October 4, netting his team’s third in a 3–2 away win against Goiás.

On September 15, 2020, Marcos Leonardo made his Copa Libertadores debut by replacing Raniel in a 0–0 home draw against Club Olimpia. On October 20, 2020, Marcos Leonardo scored the winner in a 2–1 home success over Defensa y Justicia, becoming the sixth-youngest to score in the Libertadores and the fourth-youngest Brazilian.

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Stats

He has made 151 appearances for Santos FC and has scored 49 goals and provided 11 assists. Played four matches in the Copa do Brasil and scored three goals. In 2021, he made nine appearances in the Libertadores, where he was able to score one goal and provide one assist. Played eleven matches in Paulistao A1 and had four goals and two assists to his name. He also played for the U-16 Brazil team, where he made six appearances and scored two goals. Played seven matches for the U-20 side and scored seven goals.

Marcos Leonardo’s playing style

He is a complete forward. Very pacey and determined forward with a killer instinct, interesting technique on the ball, and cleverness in his off-the-ball movements. Standing at 5’7″, height is not something Leonardo relies on, yet his jumping reach makes him very effective in aerial situations. Positionally, he plays as a centre-forward or occasionally as a second-striker, but he tends to stay rather central. The thing that makes Marcos stand out is undoubtedly his finishing.

A lot of what makes Marcos Leonardo the striker that he is is the fact that he has the ability to move very well without the ball. He possesses very impressive mid-range and long-range shooting skills. The composure, awareness, and all those mental and psychological attributes Marcos Leonardo demonstrated in the attack are also present in the build-up phases. He doesn’t play fancy Hollywood passes or anything like that, but he drops in deeper at good moments and plays an important role in making Santos’s possession more dangerous.

Similar type of Players

Marcos is very similar to former Colombian international Radamel Falco; he can hold up the ball well due to his high strength and is able to play off the shoulder of the last defender. Marcos controls a well-balanced pace, helping him keep his stamina in check and allowing him to often outrun other players in the most critical 50/50 moments, just like Falco. Even though he is not very tall, his ariel ability is just like Falco’s.

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