Marcos Leonardo cost Ajax 20 million euros, but he has yet to find his feet. "He hasn't had much impact yet, I don't think, has he?" former Ajax scout Hans van der Zee sighs in an interview with NOS.
Watching the Brazilian forward miss chances has left Ronald de Boer fearing the worst. "I think he's missed five 100 per cent chances, and they were tap-ins. At some point, it can't really be just bad luck any more. So yes, I fear the worst."
The former Ajax player also believes a 20 million euro signing should deliver more. "And I certainly think a price tag should count when assessing a player. At 20 million, you're entitled to be critical and expect more from a player," De Boer says of the summer signing.
Between 2007 and 2024, Van der Zee was Ajax's chief scout, and he regularly watched Leonardo at Santos. "I wrote several reports on him for Ajax. No, I certainly wasn't positive. I don't think he's an Ajax striker. For 20 million, there are much better options in Brazil and Colombia."
Leonardo lacks the attributes Ajax need from a striker, according to Van der Zee. "He has only average pace. He's a penalty-box striker without much height or physical strength, and his all-round play is poor. I didn't think, and still don't think, Marcos Leonardo is a top striker, because he can't link up with his team-mates."
Despite his doubts, De Boer sees some positives in Leonardo's game. "He gets away from his opponent quite well, his runs are good, and I get the feeling he really can shoot accurately with the inside of his right foot, but will that be enough for him? I doubt it."
For the former midfielder, Leonardo brings Ivan Gabrich to mind. Louis van Gaal brought the Argentinian striker to Ajax amid much fanfare in 1996, but his spell in the Netherlands was a complete failure. "Marcos Leonardo may not be a Gabrich straight away, but... right now, he is a Gabrich."