Newcastle United are preparing a £16m bid for Santos forward Marcos Leonardo in the January transfer window, as per Sunday Mirror (19 November, page 73).
The Magpies are struggling with injuries at the moment and the squad has been reduced to bare bones. Eddie Howe will be looking to delve into the transfer market and buy one or two players to counter this problem.
Premier League rivals Chelsea and Fulham are also keen to sign the 20-year-old striker but Sunday Mirror claims that the Magpies are anxious to beat off interest from the other two clubs.
The likes of Real Madrid and AS Roma are keen to sign him as well, so Newcastle could expect strong competition for his signature.
The Magpies had been quoted £25m for the Brazil Under-20 star. However, it appears that the Magpies will test Santos’ resolve with a handsome opening bid, thought to be in the region of £16m.
Leonard has scored 54 goals in 164 games for Santos, but what is important to note here is that he has scored 21 goals in each of his last two seasons.
Howe needs help
Newcastle are missing a host of key players through injuries and Howe desperately needs help at the moment. The Magpies are competing in both the Premier League and the Champions League, and the injuries to several key players have taken a toll on the side.
The likes of Alexander Isak, Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron, Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy are all currently out.
Sandro Tonali has been banned for the rest of the season and he can’t take any part. Elliot Anderson and Sven Botman are also out injured and no timeframe has been put as to when they can return.
Fabian Schar, Javier Manquillo and Matt Targett are other key players who are also injured.
