New details have emerged regarding the collapse of Marcos Leonardo's transfer from Al Hilal to São Paulo during the last winter transfer window, despite the deal nearing its decisive stages.

The future of the 22-year-old striker remains in question, as management weighs him against Darwin Núñez following the signing of Karim Benzema after his contract with the club was terminated.

The decision ultimately settled on including Núñez in the Asian Champions League elite list, which further complicated Leonardo's position within the team.

The "Fanaticos" website reported that Al-Hilal has reached a preliminary agreement to loan the player for four months, with the club bearing the majority of his salary, which is estimated at three million Brazilian reals per month.

However, the Al-Hilal management later revised their terms and demanded that the Brazilian club bear the full salary, which brought the negotiations back to square one.

Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola pointed out that Flamengo's entry into the negotiations and its readiness to cover the full salary prompted Al Hilal to reassess its financial position.

With São Paulo unable to meet the new demands, the talks officially stopped, although returning was the player's preferred option if he were to leave Saudi Arabia.

Al Hilal signed Leonardo in September 2024 from Benfica for 40 million euros, with a contract extending until June 2029. Since then, he has participated in 67 matches, scoring 43 goals and providing 5 assists.