Arsenal have confirmed the signing of highly-rated Brazilian Marquinhos from Sao Paulo on a ‘long-term contract’.
The 19-year-old has joined the club for rumoured £3m fee, and will join up with fellow Brazilian youngster Gabriel Martinelli at the Emirates Stadium.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Arsenal Technical Director Edu expressed his delight at getting the deal over the line: “We’re delighted to have completed the transfer with Sao Paulo, as Marquinhos was a player we had been watching for a while.
“At 19, he is still very young, so he is a player for the future. We look forward to Marquinhos now joining us for pre-season, making his new home, and continuing to grow and develop with us.”
The forward has played for Brazil at both Under-16 and Under-17 levels and is known for his pace and technical ability on the ball.
Arsenal’s initial attempts to sign the youngster had been complicated by a revelation that Marquinhos had actually already struck a deal to sign Wolves. Jorge Nicola who revealed that Wolves had hired a Brazilian law firm to take action against Marquinhos, who is accused of breaking the terms of his written agreement with the Midlands club to sign for Arsenal.
The legal dispute was later confirmed by the Daily Mail, who add Sao Paolo made the decision to offer Marquinhos to Arsenal for a small fee before his contract expired and he walked away for nothing. As a result, Wolves are said to be considering legal action against Sao Paolo as well as the player.
Regardless of how those legal disputes between Wolves and the Brazilian club pan out, the Gunners have got their man.
