Shandong Taishan striker Leonardo has returned to his native Brazil, but faces a tricky decision. Only five days ago, he met with his Brazilian agent in Puerto Guarulhoso, so where does he go from here? The Japanese and Korean media broke the news on the evening of the 24th that South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai is in hot pursuit of Leonardo and is expected to bring him under its wing.
Although the season has not yet come to an end, Leonardo, who is a Hebei player, has long been asked where he will go next season. In fact, he still has a four-year contract with Shandong Taishan, but Taishan has not included him in their plans for the new season. Although Leonardo is an outstanding striker, there are concerns about his adaptability. He won the Golden Boot in the J3 and J2 leagues and debuted in the J1 league with 11 goals in 28 games. However, since joining Shandong Taishan in February last year, he has contributed just one goal in eight games in the league, and was eventually replaced by Delgado during the interval. Leonardo also has a deep understanding of the differences between Chinese and Japanese soccer: "Japanese soccer focuses on technology and tactics, and everything is based on that. Chinese soccer relies more on physical confrontation, and most of the goals come from passing and stealing."
As a result, Leonardo had expressed his desire to return to the J-League late last year. Although he had been recommended to Portuguese Premier League side Portimonense, he eventually denied the offer. It is understood that Leonardo's first choice remains Japan. However, while he was lost in his search for a J-League team, Hong Myung-bo, a former South Korean national team star and ex-Zhejiang Greentown boss who had spent many years in the J-League, extended an olive branch, inviting him to join 2020 AFC Champions League winners Ulsan Hyundai. According to Seoul Sports Daily 25, Ulsan Hyundai has agreed to bring Leonardo in through a lease, and the player himself has expressed his willingness to join for a new challenge. If all goes well, the two sides will officially announce the news in the near future.
If Leonardo is able to successfully hold Ulsan's hand, he will also have Chinese Super League golden boot Naioka Junior to thank for it. Ulsan Hyundai were reported to have considered buying him back, and Hong Myung-bo sent scouts to Europe to look for a foreigner, initially unsuccessfully negotiating with a Bundesliga power forward. They then turned their attention to former Tianjin Tianhai player and Ukrainian international Moras. But Ulsan encountered difficulties in their negotiations with Shakhtar Donetsk. In the end, Hong Myung-bo had to initiate the fourth option and make a chase to Leonardo. It is worth noting that Ulsan Hyundai will be placed in Group I with Guangzhou if they advance to the AFC Champions League main round. Leonardo will also have a chance to prove himself in front of the third-placed team in the Chinese Super League at that time if he is able to join the team successfully.
