El Ahmadi doubts fitness of Ajax’s €20m signing Marcos Leonardo

Former Dutch midfielder Karim El Ahmadi told that Ajax signing Marcos Leonardo looked “just not fit” after his appearance in the Conference League match against Shelbourne FC on Thursday evening. The Brazilian striker entered the game with the Amsterdammers already leading 3‑0, after a fifteen‑minute spell in the second half.

El Ahmadi said Leonardo came on when Ajax were comfortably ahead and immediately created a few chances, but failed to find the net. He added that the player’s movements looked physically limited compared with the earlier phases of the match.

The former midfielder continued, “He is just not fit. If you see him physically, the moments he had showed good runs, but the actions after were a wrong assumption or badly shot. I think it has to do with his fitness.”

El Ahmadi cautioned against labeling the purchase a failure too early, stressing that a striker must endure intense runs and deep work‑rates, and a lack of fitness can look “quite bad”.

Leonardo arrived this summer from Saudi club Al Hilal for almost twenty million euros and signed a five‑season contract in Amsterdam, becoming one of the most expensive additions to the squad.

He was not the only summer acquisition for Jordi Cruijff; Ajax also secured Julian Brandt, Marc ter Stegen, Tolu Arokodare and Daley Blind during the same transfer window.