Arsenal have made their first summer signing in preparation for next season. Marquinhos is expected to join Arsenal for their pre-season tour in the coming season.
According to GOAL journalist Charles Watts, the North London club will spend £3 million to secure the services of the teenager. He will join the club from Sao Paulo in Brazil.
In Europe, the Brazilian is not a well known player. But, despite being only 19 years old, he has already completed a full season and could follow in the footsteps of Gabriel Martinelli, who moved to the Emirates in 2019.
Marquinhos is a gifted young forward who primarily plays on the wing, but can also play in the center. He is left-footed and can play on either wing, but his ideal position is wide out on the right wing, where he can cut inside with his preferred foot.
In addition, the youngster has represented Brazil at the youth level. He played three times for the under-17s and four times for the under-16s, scoring one goal each time.
Marquinhos made his Sao Paulo debut against Flamengo in July 2021 when he was just 18 years old. In his first season, he made 24 appearances but was mostly utilized as a substitute, as he only played for 794 minutes.
If the deal goes through, it will be akin to Edu’s signing of Gabriel Martinelli in 2019, when no one had any prior awareness of the Brazilian. When Edu gave him the opportunity, he burst onto the scene.
If Marquinhos joins Arsenal, Mikel Arteta will be hoping for the same result, as the Gunners are in desperate need of a forward and will also need to strengthen on the wings. Bukayo Saka will need a backup, and with Nicolas Pepe’s departure looking increasingly imminent, Marquinhos has a chance to make his claim.
