West Ham have been given a fresh chance to land Tim Steidten striker target Marcos Leonardo and David Sullivan could right a major wrong by pouncing to seal the deal.
The world and its wife know West Ham made a huge mistake not signing a pacy, powerful young forward in the summer.
That has already been exposed by yet another injury to Niclas Fullkrug on international duty with Germany.
Fullkrug, who turns 33 this season, is part of one of the oldest and most injury-prone strikeforces in the Premier League along with Callum Wilson – who will be 34 this term.
Besides the fact Fullkrug spent six of the nine months of last season out injured and is yet to prove he is capable of playing in the Premier League when fit, the Hammers decided to only sign free agent Wilson in the summer.
Fullkrug injury exposes West Ham’s striker blunder
West Ham fans were furious when deadline day came and went without a younger forward coming in.
The club’s owners have not entirely ruled out a moving for free agents post deadline day, saying: “Doubtful, but who knows what will happen.”
West Ham have also responded on the possibility of Michail Antonio returning.
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What fans want is a young, powerful forward who can lead the line for years to come.
Supporters want a signing with a future who they can get excited about.
Marcos Leonardo celebrates during Manchester City v Al Hilal - 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
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Now they have been handed a sudden chance to bring a player in who ticks those boxes – and better still he’s a longstanding Hammers target.
West Ham have a new chance to sign Tim Steidten striker target Marcos Leonardo after a stunning twist over his future.
The Hammers were linked with 22-year-old Brazilian Leonardo back in January 2023, when he was still at Santos.
A move to east London did not materialise, though, and Leonardo – then just 19 – continued to underline his undoubted potential by banging in 54 goals for Santos.
The moment Steidten arrived at West Ham in the summer of 2023, he launched a new move to sign Leonardo.
West Ham’s new chance to sign Steidten striker target Leonardo
Steidten even held talks with Santos and Leonardo in Brazil.
The pursuit continued to no avail all the way through to the January window of 2024 until Leonardo moved to Benfica for just £15m with a ludicrous £135m release clause.
After eight goals in six months in Portugal, Benfica cashed in, selling Leonardo to Al Hilal for an undisclosed fee.
Now West Ham could have the chance to finally sign the star, who is only nine off 100 goals in his club career at just 22 years of age.
Fluminense FC v Al-Hilal: Quarter Final - FIFA Club World Cup 2025
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According to top Brazilian football journalists Andre Hernan and Bruno Andrade reporting for ESPN, Leonardo and his team are considering a termination of his contract at Al Hilal for “just cause” as he is being “prevented” from performing his role by not being registered in the squad.
Hernan and Andrade claim that FIFA state if this happens, Leonardo could sign with a new club and be registered outside the transfer window period.
This is handing Hammers chief David Sullivan the chance to right a major wrong from the summer window.
Not only does Leonardo fit the profile of striker West Ham need, he also ticks the box for Graham Potter and head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay’s transfer policy.
Leonardo scored against Man City in the Club World Cup over the summer to show he is a potent finisher even against top opposition.
They say never look a gift horse in the mouth. They also say beggars can’t be choosers.
Sullivan can right major West Ham wrong with Leonardo move
Both apply to West Ham in this case.
If West Ham are looking into signing Leonardo as a possibility then they should be.
Because other Premier League clubs with strong connections in signing Brazilian players – such as Forest and Wolves – will likely be all over it.
The beauty is Leonardo would be able to feel his way into English football by rotating with Wilson and Fullkrug, who simply cannot manage more than one game per week at the very most.
He would also have fellow Brazilians Lucas Paqueta, Luis Guilherme and Igor Julio to help him settle in at the London Stadium.
West Ham explored a similar opportunity when Portuguese winger Jota was a target after being left out of the Al-Ittihad squad in the same circumstances.
Sullivan and Potter may have just been handed an opportunity that is too good to turn down – and it’s on a silver platter with a bow wrapped around it.