According to Van Gangelen, reports from this time are likely still in the archives, detailing why Leonardo was deemed not good enough for Ajax. He was considered too small and not fast enough, but was a good finisher. Van Gangelen's comments were met with skepticism by Bram van Polen, who questioned the decision to sign Leonardo despite his past assessment. Van Polen noted that Leonardo may have developed his skills in the years since, but so far, he has not shown this at Ajax. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was the technical director of Ajax from September 2023 to March 2025.