Arsenal Youngster Marquinhos Joins Norwich City on Season-Long Loan

Marquinhos, Arsenal loan, Norwich City, Fluminense

Arsenal youngster Marquinhos has joined Norwich City on loan for the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign. The Canaries are seeking promotion to the Premier League from the Championship and adding the wide attacking player to their squad could provide them the needed boost.

The Gunners signed the Brazilian in the summer transfer window for a nominal fee of £3 million. The winger has made only 6 appearances for the first-team since he arrived at the Emirates Stadium (stats via Transfermarkt). He scored his first Arsenal goal on his debut against FC Zurich in the Europa League.

The 19-year-old was not signed as a starter. He was supposed to play as a stop-gap in order to provide some rest to Bukayo Saka. However, the North London side have now decided to let the youngster go out on loan to get more game-time under his belt.

Marquinhos, Norwich City — Image Obtained Via GOAL

Arsenal confirmed on their official website that Marquinhos will be joining Championship side Norwich City on loan till the end of the season. The Brazilian attacker will be reunited with former Sao Paulo team-mate Gabriel Sara at Carrow Road.

Bukayo Saka has been undroppable this season and has made it difficult for the other right-wingers to gain some minutes. It seems that some regular amount of playing time will do the world of good for the 19-year-old. The Arsenal board did the same thing with William Saliba and it has paid off handsomely.

The Gunners do see potential in the Brazilian winger and believe that he is capable of returning stronger with a point to prove. Although he remained an unused substitute against Burnley last Saturday, the youngster’s first test could come his way when tenth-placed Norwich faces Bristol City next weekend.

Welcome, Marquinhos 🤝#NCFC

— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) January 31, 2023

Marquinhos is certainly a signing for the future and will need some time to get properly adjusted to the game in England. The best way for a youngster to do that is by spending some time in the Championship. The Brazilian had shown a lot of promise at Sao Paulo and Arsenal could be rewarded for being patient with him.

Was Arsenal Right To Sign Marquinhos In The First Place?

Arsenal had made it clear that signing Marquinhos was purely for the promise and not for the present. It was expected that the Brazilian was not going to get regular game-time this season.

The 19-year-old winger could have been the perfect backup for Saka but still lacks the experience at the highest level. This is what Sporting Director Edu had to say when the Gunners completed his signing:

“He is still very young, so he is a player for the future. Marquinhos was a player we had been watching for a while. We look forward to him now joining us for pre-season, making his new home, and continuing to grow and develop with us.”

Arsenal loaned out William Saliba straight after signing him, for three successive seasons to three different clubs. It has paid off since the Frenchman is now one of the key players in the squad and starts almost every game. The Gunners might depict a similar pathway with Marquinhos here. However, the Brazilian’s talent says that it won’t be necessary for the club to loan him out for three consecutive seasons.

Verdict:

Arsenal should consider themselves a bit lucky that Bukayo Saka wasn’t sidelined for the majority of this season. Nevertheless, they have suffered a blow as Emile Smith Rowe is out for a substantial period with an injury.

The Gunners barely have a backup for the 21-year-old English winger. However, that could soon change with Marquinhos’ development at Carrow Road. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be hoping that Marquinhos will offer competition to Saka when he returns from Norwich City.

Edu has a thing for Brazilian players, and the combination of Arsenal and Brazilian players have not disappointed of late. The North London side have their future sorted, now it is just about developing the player the right way.

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