Nantes are eyeing a loan move for Marquinhos from Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta keen to give the Brazilian the experience of playing a whole season.
As per Daily Mail, Marquinhos has emerged as a target for Ligue 1 club Nantes. The 20-year-old winger had a productive season at Arsenal and on loan with Norwich City. Still, Mikel Arteta wants him to have the experience of playing regular football for an entire campaign.
Marquinhos remains one of the exciting talents that Arsenal have on their hands. Signed from Sao Paulo for a meagre fee last summer, Mikel Arteta waited to loan him. He kept him on the side to gain experience with the leading group and featured in many games.
Marquinhos scored and assisted on his full debut against FC Zurich in the Europa League but couldn’t contribute enough afterwards. Arteta sent him on loan, and he joined Norwich City in the Championship. He started well, but his form dwindled as the games progressed.
The 20-year-old winger only managed a goal and an assist in 11 games for the Canaries and has since returned to Arsenal for pre-season. He played a decent part in their US tour and featured regularly, albeit from the bench.
While he got considered a backup to Bukayo Saka on the right wing, Arsenal might send him on loan again. Ligue 1 side Nantes are keen on the 20-year-old winger, with talks likely to start. Marquinhos was earlier close to joining Olympiakos, but due to the Non-EU quota, a move fell through.
There is a tall pecking order at the Arsenal, especially with Saka and Reiss Nelson in the squad. The Gunners are keen to trim their team ahead of the season and feel Marquinhos should get regular game time elsewhere. After that, Arteta and Edu Gaspar might evaluate his future and make a permanent decision.
The Gunners are finalising their squad for the season, with a few more incomings expected. They have already bid for Brentford’s David Raya and could find a breakthrough in the coming days.
They are also looking for reinforcements in the attack, with Mohammed Kudus an option for Arteta, with the Ghanaian likely to play on the wings. It shows the manager wants absolute quality in every position, as Arsenal have huge ambitions heading into the new campaign.
As for Marquinhos, he could benefit from playing regularly at Nantes or anywhere else. The Ligue 1 club are keen to bolster their attacking options after an underwhelming season where they narrowly avoided relegation.
