Arsenal Looking to Send Newly-Signed Marquinhos on Loan in January

Marquinhos, Arsenal loan, Norwich City, Fluminense

According to latest reports, Arsenal are looking to loan out new signing Marquinhos in the January transfer window. Manager Mikel Arteta wants to send the Brazilian forward on loan for him to gain some regular minutes on the pitch.

The Gunners completed the signing of Marquinhos from Sao Paulo for £3 million this summer. The North London club opted to keep the youngster so that he can adapt to new surroundings. However, the club are now considering their options to send the player out on loan to give him more game time that he has been struggling with at the Emirates.

There is a possibility that the 19-year-old may not be as involved in the team since Arteta plans on using strong playing sides, especially now that they are in the last 16 of the Europa League. The Gunners’ Carabao Cup fixture against Brighton might have been the last involvement of the Brazilian at Arsenal this year.

Marquinhos, Arsenal loan — (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

According to The Evening Standard, Arsenal are already looking for clubs that are interested in signing Marquinhos on loan and offer first-team football on a regular basis. However, it is not finalised that the youngster will not be a part of the squad in January.

The transfer depends on certain factors and situations like Arsenal’s upcoming run of fixtures and fixture congestion during the new year due to the various cups as well as their transfer approach in January. Another factor would be how much game-time will the young forward receive at a particular club.

The 19-year-old forward certainly joined Arsenal with a lot more expectations. He might be a little disappointed after not getting the game-time he may have needed to prove himself. He cannot also complain much about it as the club currently sit on top of the Premier League table.

✍️| @FabrizioRomano on Marquinhos: “With regards to a possible loan in January, Arsenal have not decided on Marquinhos yet. I think it’s normal to discuss new winger and not to consider Marquinhos ready yet as he’s super young.” [@caughtoffside] #afc

— Arsenal Buzz (@ArsenalBuzzCom) November 9, 2022

Arsenal have a good record of loan transfers considering their management of William Saliba and Martin Odegaard. They could repeat the same with Marquinhos, while being in a better position to challenge for titles. Currently, the Gunners only have Bukayo Saka and Marquinhos who prefers to play on the right, but the Brazilian lacks the experience that Saka has.

Why Have Arsenal Decided To Switch Their Approach With Marquinhos?

Arsenal’s initial approach with Marquinhos was to let him adapt to the English setting by offering him an appropriate amount of first-team football. However, Arteta had to field his best playing XI through thick and thin to get the right results. The Gunners boss made some changes to the regular playing XI against Brighton in the EFL Cup and suffered a 1-3 loss.

Meanwhile, the North London side have qualified for Europa League Round of 16. This means the Spaniard cannot risk making too many changes in the European competition anymore. Whereas in the league, Arteta’s men now have the pressure to retain the top spot every week, so they must avoid complacency.

This has led to Mikel Arteta realising that he cannot offer the Brazilian youngster the necessary amount of game-time required for his growth. Therefore, rather than delaying his development at Arsenal, it is better for Marquinhos to play regularly at another club on loan for the time being.

Moreover, Arsenal’s handling of William Saliba will give the club some sort of confidence while dealing with the 19-year-old. If all things go right, Marquinhos can challenge Bukayo Saka for the right-wing spot when he returns to the Emirates Stadium.

Elite teams in Europe have 2 or 3 capable players all competing for the same starting spot throughout the season. If Arteta manages to get this correct and create a healthy competition between Saka and Marquinhos, then Arsenal would be an even greater threat considering their offensive play this season.

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