Arsenal missed out on £15.5m striker in 2023 due to Kroenke indecision and he’s now become an ‘absolute superstar’

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TBR Football can exclusively confirm just how close Arsenal came to signing Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo back in 2023.

The Gunners are currently on the lookout for attacking reinforcements, with Viktor Gyokeres now edging closer to a move to Arsenal.

However, there’s no denying that Arsenal could have done with an out-and-out No. 9 last season.

TBR Football can reveal what led to the Gunners missing out on Leonardo, despite Edu Gaspar desperately wanting to sign him for Arsenal.

Arsenal missed out on Marcos Leonardo signing due to ‘timing issue’

TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey has confirmed that former director Edu “really, really wanted” Leonardo when he was still at Santos.

However, by the time the Kroenkes gave Edu the green light to move for Leonardo, it was too late, with Benfica securing a £15.5million deal for him.

Leonardo has since moved to Al-Hilal, where he has made a real name for himself as the man who scored a brace to knock Manchester City out of the Club World Cup.

“Edu came very close to getting Marcos Leonardo before he signed for Benfica,” Bailey exclusively told TBR Football.

“Edu loved him, he really, really wanted him and obviously he was the Man City slayer for Al Hilal.

“The reason Benfica got him was that Edu just didn’t get permission from the Kroenkes to push it through. It was literally a timing issue.

“Since then Edu has been proven right about him, he looks like an absolute superstar.

“In actual fact, he’s favourite to start as Brazil’s No. 9 ahead of all of the Premier League-based Brazilian strikers.”

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Whether Arsenal could sign Marcos Leonardo in future

Al-Hilal paid Benfica around £34.5million to sign Leonardo, and he has proven a huge success for the Saudi Pro League giants.

His efforts at the Club World Cup have catapulted him into the global spotlight, and no doubt there will be a lot of clubs taking a keen interest in him.

There’s no reason why Arsenal could not make a move for Leonardo in future and, should he decide to return to European football, that would alert all of the continent’s top clubs.

However, the opportunity to sign Leonardo as a hidden gem has long gone. His contract runs until 2029, meaning Al-Hilal’s hand would be strong in negotiations.