Arsenal’s Potential Abandonment of Edu Signing After 18 Months
Arsenal’s young Brazilian talent, Marquinhos, may be on the verge of returning to his homeland as the Gunners look set to give up on the player just 18 months after signing him. The 20-year-old was brought to the club by sporting director Edu from Sao Paulo in the summer of 2022, beating off competition from other clubs including Wolves. However, it seems that Marquinhos has failed to make a significant impact during his time at Arsenal.
Initially, Marquinhos was integrated into the first-team squad under manager Mikel Arteta and even played in the Europa League last season. However, in order to gain more regular game time, he was sent out on loan to Norwich City for the second half of the campaign. Unfortunately, his loan spell at Norwich was rather unremarkable, with Marquinhos only managing to score one goal.
At the start of this season, Arsenal decided to send Marquinhos out on loan again, this time to Ligue 1 side Nantes. However, his time at Nantes has been even more disappointing. Marquinhos has only started one game and made a total of seven appearances, failing to score or provide any assists. As a result, Arsenal has decided to trigger a break clause and end his loan early.
There were suggestions that Marquinhos might stay at Arsenal for the rest of the season, with him even being listed as the third-choice option on the right wing in a picture showing the club’s tactics board at the training ground. However, reports from Globo in Brazil indicate that Arsenal has agreed to another loan deal for the youngster, this time with Fluminense. The loan deal includes a buy clause, meaning that Fluminense can make the move permanent if Marquinhos impresses.
Although many Arsenal fans had hoped that Marquinhos would turn out to be another Gabriel Martinelli-level talent, it seems that the Gunners are now content to cash in on the player. Marquinhos cost Arsenal around £3 million when he joined, and the club is likely to receive a similar fee if he is bought outright by Fluminense.
The deal has not yet been finalized, but all parties involved expect it to go through once Marquinhos returns from South America’s Pre-Olympics tournament. Currently, he is playing for Brazil’s Under-23 team in Venezuela. Fluminense will pay a nominal loan fee for Marquinhos, who previously impressed in Brazil’s Serie A while playing for Sao Paulo.
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, spoke highly of Marquinhos after his debut for the club, praising his attitude and the respect he has earned from everyone at the club. However, Arteta also acknowledged that Marquinhos needs more playing time and opportunities to continue developing as a player.
In conclusion, it appears that Arsenal is ready to abandon their signing of Marquinhos after just 18 months at the club. Despite initially showing promise, his loan spells at Norwich City and Nantes have been underwhelming. Arsenal has decided to send him out on loan again, this time to Fluminense, with a potential permanent move on the cards if he impresses. It remains to be seen whether Marquinhos can fulfill his potential and make a significant impact in the future.