Mikel Arteta has been surprised at how quickly summer signing Marquinhos has adapted to his new surroundings and has ruled out sending the teenager on loan before January.
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The 19-year-old was the first, and least heralded, of ’s five summer signings thus far had been on the verge of joining Wolves before the intervention technical director Edu who helped broker a £3million deal with Sao Paulo.
Marquinhos made several eye-catching displays during and although he is yet to make his competitive debut, the powerful winger has impressed for the Under-21s, scoring against both and .
The youngster has since been rewarded with a call-up to Brazil’s Under-20 squad and Arteta wants to keep Marquinhos around his own first team set-up with a view to utilising him in the cup competitions.
He said: ‘Marquinhos has been playing with the U21s, and we didn’t believe that it was necessary for him to play again
‘I’m very happy with him. He’s 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 to find 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 makes sure that he establishes himself at the club and in the team, and afterwards we’ll see what the best movement for his career.’
Arsenal, meanwhile, will look to continue their impressive start to the season against Bournemouth but Arteta is taking nothing for granted against the newly promoted Cherries.
He said: ‘It will be a really tough match. I’ve been there many, many times, I know how tough it is, and I know to expect the atmosphere to be hectic.
‘It’s a team that is used to winning because last year they had a really successful season, and they’ve started well this season. I know Scott Parker very, very well and I know they’re going to make it a really difficult game for us.
‘I think it’s a good mixture between what Bournemouth used to do and what Scott is as a manager, and I think he has evolved the team in a really positive way.
‘They have a really clear idea of how they want to play, a very clear identity as well and they execute that against any opponent and credit to them for what they’re doing.’
