Despite the January transfer window closing nearly a week ago, Arsenal is on the verge of finalizing another winter transfer deal. As per reports from Brazil, the club has reached an agreement to allow young forward Marquinhos to leave on loan. The 20-year-old recently returned to Arsenal from a loan spell at Nantes, where he made just seven appearances in Ligue 1. Since arriving in north London 18 months ago from Sao Paulo for a fee of £3 million, Marquinhos has struggled to find his footing, enduring unsuccessful loan stints at Norwich and Nantes. His recall from loan left his future open, as reported by thesportingden.com three weeks ago.
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Despite temporarily joining Brazil’s Under-23 squad for the 2024 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament, where he contributed to the team’s advancement to the next stage, Marquinhos has agreed to a loan move to Fluminese for the remainder of the season. Globo reports that while a verbal agreement has been reached, final formalities are expected to be completed in the coming days, potentially including an option to buy. Arsenal had been open to selling Marquinhos and had received interest from Corinthians, following a visit by sporting director Edu Gaspar to foster relations between the two clubs earlier this year.
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Unlike Marquinhos, Gabriel Martinelli, signed by Arsenal from Brazil three years prior to Marquinhos’ arrival, has successfully integrated into Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad, becoming one of the league’s most formidable wingers over the past 18 months. With six appearances, one goal, and one assist for Arsenal, Marquinhos has struggled to replicate Martinelli’s success, with a disappointing spell at Carrow Road last year, where he managed just over 700 minutes of play in the Championship, also yielding one goal and one assist. Despite having three and a half years remaining on his contract, Arsenal hopes to secure a modest profit if they decide to sell him, employing a similar strategy to their approach with Auston Trusty.
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