The Marquinhos saga is showing no signs of ending with the Arsenal forward’s representatives explaining why he did not end up at Premier League rivals Wolves instead, as reported by Goal.
Last week, Arsenal finally confirmed the signing of a 19-year-old winger, taking advantage of a rather curious contract situation before luring him away from Brazilian giants Sao Paulo for a bargain fee of just £3 million.
But if you thought that was the end of the story, think again. There’s a twist in the tale, a cliffhanger in need of a resolution.
Why did Marquinhos end up at Arsenal and not Wolves?
According to journalist Jorge Nicola, Wolverhampton Wanderers believe that ‘Marquinhos signed a pre-contract’ with the Molineux outfit. That is, before he ended up at Arsenal instead.
“By transferring to Arsenal, he would be in breach of the agreement with Wolverhampton,” Nicola adds. “In fact, a Brazilian law firm has already been called to file a complaint.”
This already feels like a story that could run and run.
According to a statement from OTB Sports, who entered a joint-partnership with TFM to manage Marquinhos career back in 2019, Wolves planned to loan the teenager out to Swiss-based sister club Grasshoppers. A move OTB feel could have hindered his development.
“The client was led and guided by TFM, without the knowledge and agreement of OTB, in the direction of bad and hasty choices,” OTB say.
“From Sao Paulo FC to Wolverhampton. From Wolverhampton to Grasshopper FC. This was the partner’s (TFM’s) project.
“Thanks, however, to the work of OTB, aware of its moral and ethical obligations, and, above all, aware of its unmistakable role as a career manager, and thanks, also, to the good and straight family structure conferred on Marquinhos, the plan of partner to close a deal ‘at any cost’, was shipwrecked.
Wolves miss out
“It was then that OTB Sports, through its excellent relationship with Arsenal, brought to the athlete the important and incomparable offer from the English team. (An offer) which is not only interesting from a financial point of view but, primarily, will give the boy the opportunity to develop in a team of enormous quality, in the main football league on the planet.”
Marquinhos, who exploded onto the scene with two goals in a Copa Libertadores victory over Racing Club last summer, will play for Arsenal’s U23 side initially. Obviously, OTB believe he is better off honing his talents at London Colney rather than being farmed out to Switzerland.
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