Marcos Leonardo arrives in Portugal to complete €18m Benfica transfer from Santos

Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo is set to be unveiled as a new Benfica player imminently. The 20-year-old has arrived in Portugal and is set to complete his medical tests today, before the official announcement is made confirming the signing. 

Leonardo will be joining from Santos, who were relegated at the end of the 2023 Serie A campaign. In 168 games for them, he scored 54 goals and provided 11 assists while also impressing with the Brazilian national team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, scoring five goals in as many games. 

Marcos Leonardo to be unveiled as new Benfica player imminently 

Benfica’s model has long consisted of signing undiscovered gems from around the world and developing them before they leave for a huge transfer fee. And Marcos Leonardo’s transfer has the same story written all over it. 

The youngster has shown immense potential thus far, albeit failing to save Santos from relegation. And with an environment renowned for bringing out the best in young players, he could thrive in the latter half of the 23/24 season. 

Benfica will pay Santos €18 million for the striker, with a 10% plus value clause included in his deal. It now remains to be seen if he can follow in the footsteps of players like Darwin Nunez, Joao Felix and Goncalo Ramos, all of whom took the opportunity very well to hit top form and eventually move on to a bigger European club.