Newcastle United have been linked with a move for rising star in January transfer window

Newcastle United has been consistently linked with a potential move for the emerging talent Marcos Leonardo from Santos. Reports suggest that both Real Madrid and Newcastle are leading the race to secure the 20-year-old forward, who has impressively scored 21 goals and provided four assists in 46 games this year.

According to Lance!, Newcastle is among the clubs expressing interest in acquiring the young striker in the upcoming January transfer window. Recently, Leonardo’s agent indicated that the time was right for the player to leave Brazil, and negotiations had commenced with Santos for a transfer valued at around €18 million.

Addressing the ongoing speculations, Leonardo commented to Lance!, “Yes, conversations are being held [with European teams]. But now my head is focused on Santos, ever since I decided to stay here to help the team. Thank God I’m helping. Total focus on this final stretch, the rest I leave to God.”

In a different development, football finance expert Kieran Maguire expressed his views on the state of the Premier League following a recent vote to prohibit party-related deals. Despite not achieving the required majority, the proposed ban aimed to restrict loans between clubs with the same owners, a measure speculated upon amid Newcastle United’s rumored interest in Ruben Neves from Al-Ahli.

Maguire argued that the existing rules, which subject transactions exceeding one million pounds to scrutiny by the fair value panel, are adequate. He cautioned against introducing additional layers of bureaucracy, stating, “We don’t need more layers upon existing layers because it just creates a bureaucratic beast, which is unnecessary.”

Highlighting the division within the Premier League, Maguire noted that the failed proposal marked a rare instance of rejection for a league-initiated measure through voting. He concluded that the Premier League appears fractured and less united than ever, attributing this to the diverse aims and objectives of different club owners operating within the same framework.