According to Il Messaggero (via Tuttomercatoweb), Manchester United could be prepared to beat Roma to the signing of Santos striker Marcos Leonardo in January.
The Premier League giants strengthened their centre-forward department with the purchase of Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta this summer, but they were linked with Leonardo towards the end of the transfer window. As per Il Messaggero, Roma are planning a fresh attempt to land the striker in January after the Brazilian season ends.
However, the Italian outlet claim that Roma may not be the only club in the race. Man United are willing to make a lunge for the young striker and could easily make a better offer than the Serie A outfit to secure the player. Roma general manager Tiago Pinto proposed to sign Leonardo for £17 million plus £4 million in add-ons.
Possible deal
United have brought in a quality young striker in the form of Hojlund. The 20-year-old made his debut against Arsenal last weekend. He came on as a second-half substitute and gave Gabriel Magalhaes something to think about. His physical presence and link-up play will have grabbed attention of many United supporters.
The Danish star has the potential to become a top-notch striker in the long run, but United could contemplate a quality deputy behind him with Anthony Martial struggling to impress. The Frenchman had an ineffective performance at the Emirates on Sunday where he was comfortably handled by the Arsenal back four.
Marcus Rashford has played as the no.9 for United when in need, but the Englishman clearly prefers to work from the left wing where he has the room to maneuver and dribble his way into the box. It is unclear whether United could spend on another striker, but Leonardo could be a good buy. He has 16 goals for Santos this campaign and could only get better in years to come.
