Shandong Taishan striker Leonardo, now back home in Brazil, is facing a key decision in his life. Only five days ago, he met with a Brazilian agent in Puerto Guarulhoso, and his future destination is a mystery. 24 nights ago, Japanese and Korean media broke the news that South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai has launched a passionate pursuit of him, and the likelihood of signing a contract has increased greatly.
Although the season has not yet come to an end, Leonardo has been frequently asked about his future next season during his time with Hebei. Technically, he still has a four-year contract with Shandong Taishan, but Taishan has not included him in their future plans. Although Leonardo was once a great striker, there are concerns about his adaptability. He won the Golden Boot in the J3 and J2 leagues, and contributed 11 goals in 28 games in the J1 league. However, after joining Shandong Taishan last February, he scored only one goal in eight league games and was eventually replaced by Delgado. Leonardo has a deep understanding of the differences between Chinese and Japanese soccer, "Japanese soccer pays more attention to technology and tactics, while Chinese soccer relies more on physical contact, and goals are mostly scored by passing and parrying."
At the end of last year, Leonardo had expressed his desire to return to the J-League several times. He was recommended to Portuguese Premier League Portimão, but ultimately dismissed it. It was reported that Leonardo's first choice was Japan. As he searched for a J-League club, Hong Myung-bo, a South Korean national team legend and former Zhejiang Greentown boss who played in the J-League for many years, extended an olive branch and invited him to join 2020 AFC Champions League winners Ulsan Hyundai. The attraction of the new owner is obvious. Seoul Sports Daily reported on the 25th that Ulsan Hyundai have agreed to bring Leonardo in through a lease, and the player himself is interested in joining and has decided to take on a new challenge. If all goes well, an official announcement will be made soon.
If Leonardo succeeds in joining Ulsan, the new Chinese Super League (CSL) Golden Boot, Naioka Júnior, will have a lot to do with it. Ulsan Hyundai had considered buying him back, and Hong Myung-bo also sent scouts to Europe to look for foreign aid, initially unsuccessfully negotiating with the Bundesliga's powerful striker, and then looking at former Tianjin Tianhai player and Ukrainian international Moras. However, Ulsan got stuck in negotiations with Shakhtar Donetsk Miners and eventually had to launch a fourth option to pursue Leonardo. It is worth noting that if Leonardo joins Ulsan and is grouped with Guangzhou in the AFC Champions League main round, he will have the chance to re-prove himself in front of the third-placed team in the Chinese Super League.
