Ajax signed Marcos Leonardo during the summer transfer window for a fee of just under €20 million from Al Hilal.

At only 23 years of age, Leonardo has already scored over 100 career goals in club football, and he has enjoyed extremely successful spells at Santos and Al Hilal. He also played for Benfica before moving to Saudi Arabia, but Leonardo only made 24 appearances for the Portuguese club, in which he scored eight goals in all competitions.

During his time at Al Hilal, Leonardo scored 48 goals in 82 games, but the Brazilian forward has struggled to reach that same level at Ajax so far.

He has scored only twice in 13 appearances so far. In the three games before the international break, Leonardo spent the entirety of those games on the bench. His minutes have increased since, though, with the striker having played in all of Ajax's last four games, including two starts in a row in games against FC Groningen and Atalanta.

Leonardo failed to score in either game, but his performances, especially against Groningen, provide reason for optimism. He works very hard, and throughout his time at Ajax so far, he regularly gets into excellent goal-scoring positions, but he has struggled to find the back of the net. 

Speaking to Ziggo Sport after Ajax's win against Atalanta on Thursday night, Leonardo spoke about his struggle for goals in an Ajax shirt.

"I am a striker, and I want to score goals, but it just isn't happening right now," Leonardo said.

"In the last three years, I have scored over a hundred goals. I haven't lost my touch; I hope it comes soon."

Ajax also signed Tolu Arokodare from Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan in the summer. The Nigerian striker has been exceptional in the early stages of his time in Amsterdam, having already scored eight goals in all competitions. During the interview with Ziggo Sport, Leonardo also spoke about working with Tolu.

"There is a healthy rivalry between us," Leonardo explained.

"He is a good guy with good energy and always a smile on his face. It is part of the game that two strikers want to score."

In all competitions this season, Leonardo's xG (expected goals) is 6.21, but as already mentioned, he has only scored twice.

Leonardo has proven himself to be a good finisher, and that makes his form in front of goal this season surprising. In both seasons he played for Al Hilal, Leonardo overperformed his xG in the Saudi Pro League.

His movement in and around the penalty box is very good, which is why he is so often in the right place at the right time. He is simply lacking confidence at the moment. Once he regains that confidence, he should hopefully return to his best.

Tolu and Leonardo are both very different strikers, which gives Michel Sanchez a nice variety in profiles. Tolu is a target man, while Leonardo is the kind of striker who likes to make runs in behind into space. Most of Ajax's forwards like to receive the ball onto their feet, so with his runs in behind, Leonardo gives Ajax a quality they lack in the front line.