“Leonardo stands out above Vitor Roque and Endrick”-Vampeta praises Santos striker

Author: Soorya G

Marcos “Vampeta” Batista, a notable member of the 2002 World Cup-winning team, firmly believes that Santos’ rising star Marcos Leonardo outshines the other two brightest Brazilian talents, Vitor Roque and Endrick. Despite the current uncertainty surrounding the national team, the horizon of Brazilian soccer is bright with promise. The spotlight is on Vitor Roque and Endrick, both of whom have the potential to become world-class players. Vampeta made a point of adding Leonardo to this conversation, in fact putting him on a higher level than the other two.

Both the Athletico Paranaense youngster and the Palmeiras striker are ready to join the elite next year. While “Tigrinho” is ready to wear the colors of Barcelona, the 17-year-old prodigy will go to Real Madrid. However, Vampeta, the former player, remains firm in his conviction that Marcos Leonardo surpasses them both.

“Comparing Marcos Leonardo with Endrick and Vitor Roque, I’d say he stands out. He maintains a high level of performance in a struggling team. If you put Marcos Leonardo as a striker at Palmeiras, he’d score 30 goals a year effortlessly” said the 2002 World Cup winner with Brazil.

“I think Marcos Leonardo plays more than Endrick and Vitor Roque. He plays a lot and he’s in a bad team. If you put Marcos Leonardo as a 9 at Palmeiras, he scores 30 goals a year.”

– Vampeta, on Jovem Pan’s Reis da Resenha.

📽️: Jovem Panpic.twitter.com/s4yI2P3Jz8

– LIBERTA DEPRE (@liberta___depre) August 24, 2023

Although drawing parallels with Roque and Endrick is a topic that will be explored in more depth in another speech, Vampeta raises an intriguing point. The Santos talent demonstrated his immense ability in front of goal by scoring 17 goals this season, a remarkable achievement considering Peixe’s lacklustre campaign. In fact, it could be said that without Leonardo’s contributions, the team’s situation in the Brasileirão would be even more precarious. With just 21 points from 20 games, Santos are currently 17th in the Brazilian league standings, on the brink of relegation. Without Marcos Leonardo’s eight goals in this tournament, the team’s situation could have been even more compromised.

The 20-year-old striker could be the club’s next high-profile sale, as both Roma and Manchester United have expressed great interest in securing his signature. Napoli, the Italian champions, are also said to be in the running for Leonardo, although the deal is not close.