Arsenal are set to sign Marquinhos and the Sao Paulo winger travelled to London on Thursday to undergo a medical with Mikel Arteta’s Premier League giants, as reported by Goal.
Official confirmation has not yet arrived but it seems only a matter of time before the livewire leftie becomes the latest in a long line of Portuguese-speakers to join the Gunners during Edu Gaspar’s reign as technical director, following Gabriel Martinelli, Cedric Soares, David Luiz, Gabriel Magalhaes and Willian.
Arsenal have agreed a £2.5 million fee for Marquinhos. The Gunners took advantage of a contractual issue that could have seen the 19-year-old leave on a free transfer.
“(Marquinhos) was supposed to be (available for) free. That’s the truth. We still got 3 million euros from Arsenal,” says Muricy Ramalho, Sao Paulo’s spots co-ordinator.
“If he went to FIFA (and appealed), we wouldn’t be entitled to anything.”
Marquinhos set for Arsenal medical
Tricolor president Julio Casares admitted earlier this week that Marquinhos had his heart set on leaving the Morumbi as far back as July last year, when the teenager shot to fame with a goal and an assist in a Copa Libertadores victory over Argentine outfit Racing Club.
According to Goal, Marquinhos has now jetted in to London in order to dot the I’s and cross the T’s. He has visited Arsenal’s training ground and will now undergo a medical ahead of becoming the club’s first signing of what could be a busy summer of incomings and outgoings.
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The report adds that Arsenal view the twinkle-toed teenager as ‘one for the future’. Then again, many at the Emirates felt the same about Gabriel Martinelli when he arrived from FC Ituano in a £7 million deal three years ago.
It will be intriguing to see if Marquinhos can emulate the remarkable and immediate impact of his baby-faced compatriot in red-and-white.
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