Ajax sign Marcos Leonardo from Al-Hilal on a contract to 2031

Ajax have signed Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo from Al-Hilal. The 23-year-old agreed a five-season contract that runs until 30 June 2031. Ajax confirmed a transfer fee just below 20 million euros.

Leonardo arrives after scoring 48 goals in 82 official matches for Al-Hilal. He began his senior career at Santos and later represented Benfica. Ajax technical director Jordi Cruijff said scoring goals will be his main assignment in Amsterdam.

The agreement covers five full seasons

Ajax, Al-Hilal and the player reached a complete transfer agreement. The Dutch club announced the move on 18 July. The contract begins before the 2026/27 season and ends in the summer of 2031.

The fee is official rather than an outside estimate. Ajax described it as just under 20 million euros. No further bonus structure was included in the public announcement.

Leonardo was born in Itapetinga, Brazil, on 2 May 2003. He joins Ajax at 23 with more than 250 official senior appearances already recorded across his career.

His Al-Hilal record contains 48 goals

Leonardo played 82 official matches for Al-Hilal. He scored 48 times during that period. The total gives him an average above one goal for every two appearances.

His wider senior record stands above 100 goals. Cruijff used that figure when explaining Ajax’s interest. The club has followed the striker for an extended period before completing the move.

Ajax register Leonardo as a striker in the first-team squad. It identifies his position as striker and states that Ajax expect goals. The coaching staff selects each matchday team from the registered squad.

Santos gave him his first senior matches

Leonardo developed at Santos and began his professional career in Brazil. He played regular senior football there before his first move to Europe. That period created most of his early appearance total.

Benfica signed him at the start of 2024. His time in Portugal was short because Al-Hilal completed another transfer later that year. The two moves placed him in European and Saudi club football before his 22nd birthday.

Ajax become the fourth senior club in that sequence. The Amsterdam move also returns Leonardo to a European league. His previous Benfica period provides a small amount of direct experience with that setting.

Cruijff described one clear expectation

The technical director said Ajax had admired the player for some time. He pointed to Leonardo’s experience despite his age. More than 250 matches and 100 goals formed the numerical basis of that assessment.

Cruijff then defined the central purpose of the signing. Ajax brought Leonardo to score. The comment did not include a tactical formation or promise a fixed number of starts.

A separate confirmed transfer sent Johan Manzambi from Freiburg to Aston Villa.

That distinction keeps the public role simple. Leonardo is registered as a striker with a long contract and a confirmed scoring record. Coaching choices around him have not been announced as part of the deal.

The first European tie is already scheduled

Ajax will meet Vojvodina in the second qualifying round of the Conference League. The first leg is scheduled in Novi Sad on 23 July. The return match takes place on 30 July.

The official matchday squads for the two Nice legs determine Leonardo’s availability. Registration and match selection require separate team decisions. His contract, however, is complete before both dates.

Ajax therefore enter the tie with a new striker under contract through 2031. The confirmed transfer record contains a fee below 20 million euros, 48 Al-Hilal goals and more than 100 senior goals overall.

The transfer follows more than 250 senior matches

Marcos Leonardo began his senior career with Santos. He later moved to Benfica in January 2024. Al-Hilal signed him during the same year.

The forward made 82 appearances for Al-Hilal and scored 48 goals. His wider senior record contains more than 250 matches and more than 100 goals. Ajax signed him at age 23.

The contract runs until 30 June 2031. Ajax stated that the transfer fee was just below 20 million euros. That figure is the club’s published amount rather than an outside estimate.

His first confirmed European schedule with Ajax includes Vojvodina. The first Conference League qualifying match is in Novi Sad on 23 July. The return is in Amsterdam on 30 July.

Registration establishes eligibility, while the official line-up establishes selection. The club confirmed the player, contract and fee. The official match sheet will confirm his involvement against Vojvodina.

The 48 goals came across 82 Al-Hilal appearances. The 48 goals cover all competitions across 82 Al-Hilal appearances. Ajax used the complete figure when presenting the transfer.

The forward’s previous European stay at Benfica was short because Al-Hilal signed him during 2024. Ajax now returns him to European club competition under a contract lasting nearly five seasons.

Ajax add a 23-year-old striker on a contract to June 2031. Leonardo arrives with 48 goals in 82 Al-Hilal appearances and more than 100 senior goals across his career.