Arsenal are set for another huge summer of spending, and according to reports, the north London side are already close to their first signing in the form of Brazilian teenager Marquinhos.
Multiple outlets report that the Gunners have agreed to a £2.5m deal to sign the 19-year-old Sao Paulo talent, with Marquinhos set to become Arsenal’s newest arrival and their first transfer of 2022 for the first team.
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Any signing from Brazil is bound to drum-up excitement, yet for Arsenal fans, most will not be familiar with Marquinhos or what the youngster is capable of. Thankfully, this is where this article comes to the rescue.
We take a deep dive into Marquinhos and explore why the Gunners have signed the talented South American, and why Arsenal fans should be excited by this new signing from Brazil this summer.
Arsenal target Marquinhos, who actually is he?
The best place to start might just be to describe who Marquinhos is, as even the most ardent of Arsenal supporters will not be too certain what type of player the Brazilian youngster is.
Marquinhos is a right-sided attacker who has in recent months has broken into the Sao Paulo first-team, with the youngster also skilled of playing on the opposite flank and capable of playing in a deeper midfield role if needed.
A confident forward known for his powerful runs inside and his positive progression with the ball when on the attack, Marquinhos is an entertainer on the pitch, and for Arsenal fans, this will be a huge factor in how well the teenager does at the Emirates Stadium.
Likened to former Juventus star Douglas Costa and highly rated by legendary Brazilian keeper and current Sao Paulo manager Rogerio Ceni, Marquinhos is a top talent who has been tipped to go far in Europe, and it’s Arsenal, of all clubs, who have won the race for the winger.
Edu is signing him at a cut-rate price
As mentioned at the top, Arsenal have agreed to sign Marquinhos for a reported £2.5m, a ridiculous transfer in this day and age and especially for a club as big as the Gunners, who naturally would have to offer more money for any talent given their finances.
With a reported release clause of £42m, Arsenal have even more reason to celebrate, with Goal reporting that Sao Paulo are only accepting the fee due to growing fears inside the club that Marquinhos could leave for free despite his current deal not expiring until 2024.
With Marquinhos joining for about the same fee Arsenal signed one Rob Holding for back in 2016, the Gunners are getting one incredible deal for the Brazilian, and even if the winger was to flop in north London, Edu Gaspar will likely be able to sell the attacker for a profit in the coming years.
Don’t get swept up in Gabriel Martinelli comparisons
Marquinhos joining Arsenal from Brazil has many fans and pundits comparing the signing to one deal, that being Edu’s first-ever piece of business for the Gunners when the technical director brought Gabriel Martinelli over from South America in 2019.
As we know, that signing turned out to be of the best Edu has made during his tenure at the top of the Gunners hierarchy, with Martinelli one of Arsenal’s most important players and a talent who could one day develop into one of the best in world football.
Yet whilst there’s no denying Marquinhos’ potential, the 19-year-old should not be put in the same boat as Martinelli, with the teenager likely to take a year or two to settle in England before having a real crack in the Arsenal squad.
As per reports, Marquinhos could feature for the Gunners on their pre-season tour of the United States which might follow in a loan out to a European club, a move that could be extremely beneficial for all parties involved.
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