Arsenal and Manchester United are reportedly preparing to go head-to-head for the signature of Santos forward Marcos Leonardo.

The 19-year-old came through the youth system at Santos and has represented the Brazilian club on 113 occasions in all competitions, contributing 32 goals and six assists in the process.

Leonardo still has another four years left to run on his current deal, but a number of European clubs are believed to be keen to sign him in the near future.

According to Calciomercato, Arsenal and Man United are firm admirers of the Brazilian, with the Premier League pair preparing to battle for his signature next year.

The report also claims that Tottenham Hotspur and Napoli are keeping a close eye on the developments, with Santos unlikely to be able to keep hold of him on a long-term basis.

"Every player who wants to be successful needs to be prepared for pressure. I play for a big club in Brazil, so all the time you live with pressure," the forward said in an interview with The Mirror earlier this year.

"I am happy with the recognition in Brazil and now outside. But I'm very down to earth. I realise I need to keep working to grow even more.

"First of all, I want to make history with the Santos shirt. Winning titles, putting my name in the club's top players gallery. To be the top scorer in the competitions I play.

"Then I want to manage to get to the Brazilian national team. I'm doing well in the youth categories, but my focus is on having the chance to represent my country in a World Cup, wearing the number 9 shirt.

"I believe these are my two biggest goals at the moment. I want to play in Europe, but I see that I have to complete stages before any kind of opportunity to do that."

Leonardo has also revealed that he wants to play in the Premier League at some point in the future.

"I want to play in the Premier League one day," he added. "I watch a lot of games, and it is one of the main championships in the world. Not only for the competition among the teams, but also for the whole league. The proof is that English clubs always arrive in finals like the Champions League."

The youngster described himself as "a striker with a lot of speed and strength" when asked what could be expected from him in the future.

"I'm a striker with a lot of speed and strength. I always like to position myself well inside the area and I try to improve my finishing with my left and right feet," he added.

Leonardo made the step up from Santos Under-20s to the first team in July 2020, while he signed a new and improved deal at the Brazilian club in January of this year. body check tags ::