Arsenal are beginning to put plans in place for the January transfer window with Mikel Arteta weighing up the possibility of sending summer signing Marquinhos out on loan, according to reports.
The Brazilian teenager moved to north from Sao Paulo in a £3million deal earlier this year, with the decision made to keep him at the club so he could adapt to his new surroundings.
Marquinhos has subsequently made four appearances for the Gunners, notably scoring and assisting against FC Zurich in the in September.
He was also given minutes in two matches against Bodo/Glimt and came off the bench late on against Brentford to make his one and only Premier League appearance.
In total, Marquinhos has played just 149 minutes of football for Arsenal and, according to , the club are now considering loaning him out so he can receive more regular first-team football.
Part of the decision not to loan him out in the summer was due to the club’s participation in Europe, but Arteta is likely to name full-strength line-ups when that competition resumes – with Arsenal already in the last 16 after winning their group.
A Carabao Cup tie against Brighton on Wednesday could well be the last opportunity Marquinhos will get this season, with the Premier League breaking up for the World Cup before the January window opens.
It is not certain that the 19-year-old will leave, though, and he could end up staying put depending on the state of Arsenal’s squad after the World Cup, particularly with Carabao Cup fourth-round ties scheduled for the just two days after December’s final in Qatar.
Arsenal then face a hectic run of games over Christmas and New Year, though a loan could follow later in the window when the fixture schedule calms down.
Potential transfer business could also impact whether Marquinhos stays or leaves in January, with Arsenal known to be in the market for a new attacker.
The north Londoners have been linked with Orlando City forward Facundo Torres as well as Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mykhaylo Mudryk – if either of those were to join, the Brazilian youngster would likely be loaned out.
In addition to bringing in a new attacking option, Arteta is also believed to be keen to bring in central midfield cover as he looks to continue Arsenal’s unexpected title charge.
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