07 February 2024 , 22:43
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Arsenal are seemingly ready to offload Brazilian winger Marquinhos for good in the summer following an underwhelming loan spell at Nantes.
The Gunners snapped up Marquinhos, 20, from Sao Paulo for £3million in the summer of 2022 and the youngster was handed a long-term contract after impressing the club's sporting director, Edu.
Mikel Arteta initially integrated Marquinhos into his first-team squad with the forward getting some minutes in the Europa League before linking up with Championship promotion hopefuls Norwich City for the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.
Another loan move was arranged this term with Nantes taking Marquinhos for the season, but the agreement was curtailed last month after he hardly featured for the Ligue 1 outfit, making just seven appearances in total.
It now seems as though he could be on borrowed time at the Emirates ahead of his next move, with Brazilian outlet Globo reporting that Arsenal have arranged for Marquinhos to link up with Fluminense on loan. However, it's outlined that the agreement includes an option for the deal to be made permanent at a later date if all parties are in agreement.
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Agreeing to such a clause marks a major change in Arsenal's stance on Marquinhos, especially given that 18 months ago their dogged pursuit of the youngster left former Sao Paolo head coach Rogerio Ceni 'very angry', according to a report from Bolavip at the time.
Since leaving his previous role as technical director of the Brazil national team, Edu has played a significant role in Arsenal's renaissance under Arteta and has also been influential in the club's transfer dealings.
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Marquinhos could be set for a permanent Arsenal exit (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC)Hopes were high at Arsenal that Marquinhos could emulate Gabriel Martinelli, who was also plucked from Brazilian footballer as a teenager. He has since gone on to establish himself as one of the Premier League's deadliest forwards and a key player for Arsenal.
Reacting to the deal back in June 2022, Edu said of Marquinhos: "We’re delighted to have completed the transfer with Sao Paulo, as Marquinhos was a player we had been watching for a while.
"At 19, he is still very young, so he is a player for the future. We look forward to Marquinhos now joining us for pre-season, making his new home, and continuing to grow and develop with us."