Liverpool favourites to land deal for invaluable Brazilian No9

Last summer Liverpool freshened up their striking options.

Out went Luis Diaz - who played as an auxiliary No9 during the 2024/25 Premier League title-winning season - as well as Darwin Nunez.

In their place came Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak - who joined for a British-record fee from Newcastle. Ekitike has been a fine signing - if a little streaky - while Isak’s signing has been a total write-off to this point.

It’s been suggested that the Premier League champions may well go back into the market for a new frontman - and their chase could lead them to Darwin’s current club Al-Hilal.

Liverpool eye up deal for Marcos Leonardo

Marcos Leonardo, 22, has been with the Saudi giants since 2024 when he left Benfica. Prior to that the striker came through at Santos - and his long-term future in Saudi Arabia is by no means guaranteed.

Linked with Atletico Madrid when Karim Benzema joined Al-Hilal it has been speculated that his employers may well to seek to cash in this summer.

Liverpool as well as Tottenham have been linked with a move for Marcos Leonardo - with Liverpool in particular said to value his versatility.

“Liverpool wants to rejuvenate the rotation in its attacking line and revitalise the Brazilian tradition,” a report in Sports Boom reads.

“Leonardo’s ability to function both as a central striker and a "false nine" is an invaluable trait for Liverpool’s fluid frontline.

“Liverpool’s biggest trump card in this transfer is the "Champions League and trophy-guaranteed" project they can offer the player. “Additionally, the club’s historical ties with Brazilian players may lead Leonardo to favour a move to Anfield.”

Liverpool were previously in the market for Leonardo back when he was emerging as a teenage marksman in Santos. It was reported all the way back in 2022 that he was on the Reds’ radar and nowadays he looks like a much more rounded player.

This season he’s got 10 goals in 19 Saudi Pro League matches and could be destined for a return to Europe before long.

Marcos Leonardo: Situation summary

Marcos Leonardo is a 22-year-old Brazilian centre-forward who came through Santos, moved to Benfica in January 2024, and then joined Al Hilal in September 2024 for around €40m on a deal to June 2029.

A 1.75m, mobile striker, he mixes poacher instincts with sharp movement, dropping between lines and attacking the box with aggressive, well-timed runs.

His standout qualities are penalty-box finishing, intelligent off-the-ball movement, and the ability to generate shots off the dribble or via quick combinations, rather than relying purely on service.

In the 2025‑26 season he has hit double figures in the Saudi Pro League and added goals in AFC competition, underlining consistent end-product at Al Hilal after an earlier productive spell at Santos and an impactful, if brief, stint as a Benfica super-sub.

He is contracted to Al Hilal to 2029 on a lucrative package, so any European move would require a major fee and player push.

Medium term, he profiles as a high-upside striker ready for a top-five league step if he sustains output and refines link play and aerial presence, with an obvious pathway back to Europe once he maximises his development in Saudi Arabia.

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