Arsenal are prepared to cut their losses and sell Brazilian winger Marquinhos in the coming weeks, with Brazilian outfit Fluminense close to securing a deal. The Brazil U-23 international has failed to find his feet since moving to Europe in 2022, despite playing for multiple sides.
After the signing of a certain Gabriel Martinelli from Ituano in Brazil’s fourth division, Arsenal decided to try again. This time, they took a punt on a youngster playing in Brasileirao Serie A with Sao Paulo, signing him for €3 million.
Marquinhos was highly rated at the Emirates upon his arrival and was put among the first-team players straight away. He made several appearances in the first half of the season but failed to convince manager Mikel Arteta, and was sent away on loan in January 2023.
The loan spell at Norwich City did not go as planned, with the youngster finding the net only once, and providing a solitary assist in 11 appearances. He returned to Arsenal before embarking on another loan move to FC Nantes at the start of the 2023-24 season.
Marquinhos only made seven league appearances, including one start for the French side, and failed to score a goal. The Gunners activated a break clause to cut short his loan spell and return him to the Emirates.
The 20-year-old is currently on duty for the Brazil U-23 national team as they participate in a pre-Olympics qualifying tournament. He is expected to complete a loan move to Fluminense once the competition is concluded, and the loan will include an option to buy for around €3 million.
Arsenal name forgotten man in squad for UCL KOs
Arsenal have named defender Jurrien Timber in their squad for the knockout rounds of the UEFA Europa League. The Dutchman, who joined the club from Ajax in the summer, picked up a thigh injury on his Premier League debut.
The versatile and highly-rated defender featured in a number of positions in the preseason and commenced the season as a starter before his ACL injury. Arteta experimented with playing Timber instead of Ben White on the right side and Oleksandr Zinchenko on the left.
Timber is nearing his return to action, and the Gunners will hope that he is around for the latter part of the season. The 22-year-old is a manager’s dream. He showed off great flexibility and tactical understanding in the few games in the preseason.
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