Arsenal are on the verge of signing Marquinhos, with the Sao Paulo winger’s bargain move seemingly causing a stir over in Brazil.
Arsenal technical director Edu has great connections over in Brazil and we have already seen that in action.
The signing of Gabriel Martinelli from Ituano in 2019 few under the radar but he has impressed in the Premier League.
Edu now looks set to try and repeat the trick by teeing up a deal for Marquinhos.
Arsenal are on the verge of signing Marquinhos
Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola broke the news of Arsenal’s interest in signing Marquinhos last week.
The move has accelerated rapidly since then.
The Athletic reported that Marquinhos was being left out of the Sao Paulo squad to face Cuiaba on Sunday to help him finalise his move to Arsenal.
Despite a £42.5million release clause in his Sao Paulo contract, Marquinhos is moving for just €3.5million (£3million).
Arsenal think that the 19-year-old is a huge talent for the future and now appear to have him snapped up well in dance of the summer window.
Vampeta rages over ‘absurd’ Marquinhos deal
Arsenal will be pretty excited by the Marquinhos deal but the reaction in Brazil isn’t all that positive.
Former Brazil midfielder Vampeta – who won the World Cup in 2002 and was involved in Inter Milan’s deal for Adriano – has offered his thoughts.
Speaking to Jovem Pan Esportes in Brazil, Vampeta suggested that the deal for Marquinhos to join Arsenal is absolutely ‘absurd’.
Vampeta claims he has talked up Marquinhos for years now having spotted him at a young age.
Vampeta feels that the transfer fee is just far too low and that he is now being gifted to Arsenal ‘on a silver platter’.
“This is absurd. This is absurd,” said Vampeta. “They’re going to lose Marquinhos to Arsenal for €3m. I don’t know if you remember that I used to say I watched Audax’s academy games, Marquinhos in the under-15… he used to already make the difference.”
“I said here on the show, ‘There’s an U-15 at São Paulo, Marquinhos’… Now he’s going to leave on a silver platter,” he added, as quoted by the Daily Star.
That’s all very exciting for Arsenal, who will now hope that they have signed an absolute star of the future.
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