Premier League giants Arsenal will sign Marquinhos with Sao Paulo president Julio Casares confirming that the teenager ‘didn’t want to stay’ in Brazil, speaking to Grande Circulo on Globo Esporte.
It seems only a matter of time before Marquinhos is posing for photos in front of the Emirates Stadium, a red-and-white scarf around his neck, arm in arm with Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal saw a £3 million bid for the 19-year-old left-winger accepted last week, as reported by Globo Esporte. A fee that has been described, by a number of frustrated observers, as ‘absurd’, and ‘a scandal’.
Though, in their defence, it’s not as if Sao Paulo have much choice.
Even the biggest clubs in Brazilian football have been hit hard by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Manager Rogerio Ceni recently admitted that Sao Paulo ‘need the money’.
What’s more, their hand was weakened further by a rather strange contractual problem.
Marquinhos, the former Brazil U17 international, recently signed a five-year professional contract at the Morumbi. But, according to Lance, such a deal breaches FIFA regulations. Due to Marquinhos’ age, the maximum length of contract Sao Paulo were legally able to offer was just three years.
Arsenal set to sign Marquinhos from Sao Paulo
“The Marquinhos issue is a well-known issue,” admits Casares, pointing out that the 19-year-old had made up his behind even before his breakthrough, Man of the Match performance in the Copa Libertadores victory over Racing Club back in July.
“He didn’t want to stay. We tried everything. Even before the game against Racing, he didn’t want to stay. It was a contractual issue.
“We came from a pandemic. The (January) window was very conservative. The market felt (the impact). It looks like it is now on the mend.”
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Marquinhos will become the latest Portuguese speaker to join Arsenal’s ranks during the reign of Edu Gaspar, the club’s Brazilian director. Arsenal will hope he can emulate the impact of another South American wonderkid who arrived on a bargain fee from Brazil, former FC Ituano starlet Gabriel Martinelli.
The London giants also tried to sign Savio from Atletico Mineiro before Manchester City swooped in.
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