Since the end of the "golden dollar football" era, Chinese Super League clubs' investment in the transfer market has continued to shrink, and the eye-catching large-scale signings have almost disappeared. However, this trend seems to have taken a turning point recently. According to Brazilian media reports, a Chinese Super League club has contacted Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo who plays for Riyadh Crescent and has officially made a offer. If the deal is finally reached, it will become the most eye-catching signing in the Chinese Super League in the past five years.
The news originated from the owner of the Sao Paulo club in Brazil. Previously, Sao Paulo tried to introduce Leonardo but failed. Casares admitted in an interview that the main reason for the failure of the negotiations was that third-party clubs suddenly joined the competition: "We were facing a competition from Arab and Chinese Super League teams at that time. Unfortunately, the news of our negotiations with Leonardo was leaked - everyone knew that Riyadh Crescent intends to lend him to us for free. As a result, competitors quickly made a paid offer to New Moon. In this case, how could the other party be willing to release people for free? The early leakage of information completely ruined the transaction."
Although Casares did not disclose which Chinese Super League club it offered Leonardo, it is certain that the team showed full sincerity. Leonardo, 22, is 177cm tall and plays as a striker on the court. He was once regarded as one of the most promising forward stars in the Brazilian League and Portuguese Super League. Last fall, he joined Riyadh Crescent for a high transfer fee of 40 million euros (about 330 million yuan). Last season, he played 24 times in the league and scored 17 goals, and scored 5 goals in the AFC Champions League. But with the joining of Uruguayan star Nunez this year, Riyadh Crescent is willing to rent Leonardo out due to restrictions on foreign aid quota.
Although judging by Leonardo's current value and the high-paying contract signed with West Asia Club, Chinese Super League teams seem to find it difficult to afford such a level of deal; in fact, this is not impossible. Looking back at the "golden and Yuan era" of the Chinese Super League, some teams also loaned high-paid and big-name foreign players to other leagues under extremely low conditions, with the purpose of freeing up foreign players. Therefore, as long as the conditions proposed by the Chinese Super League club can be recognized by Riyadh Crescent, the most heavyweight new foreign aid in the Chinese Super League this winter will be about to emerge.
