Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta spoke on how he was impressed by the young Brazillian winger Marquinhos. The 19-year-old was signed from Sao Paulo by the Gunners in a deal worth £3 million this summer. He was widely considered a prospect for the future. He participated in Arsenal’s pre-season but has not been featured for the First Team so far.
However, Marquinhos has played for Arsenal U21s in Premier League 2. He scored once and got an assist against Manchester United U21s earlier this month. He then scored a brace in their match against West Ham U21s. The Brazillian teenager has been impressing everyone at Arsenal, including manager Mikel Arteta.
What did Mikel Arteta say about the young Brazillian?
In the press conference yesterday, Arteta had praised Marquinhos’ temprament and physicality.
“I’m very happy with him. He has adapted very well and he’s a really likeable figure in the dressing room and around Colney.
“His language is not great yet but I think his physicality has been pretty exceptional, for someone who has come from Brazil and has a different way to train and play, but he’s done it.
“I think he’s got the qualities for how we want to play. We will keep him here for another few months and make sure that he establishes himself at the club and in the team. Afterwards, we’ll see what the best movement is for his career.”
When Marquinhos had come in, it seemed likely that he would go on loan to gain experience. However, with such excellent performances, that seems less likely.
Some reports say that the out-of-favour Nicholas Pepe is very close to joining OGC Nice on a loan. Provided the Gunners don’t bring a replacement, Marquinhos may be likely have a unique oppertunity to break into the First-team.
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