Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has hinted at the possibility of a Premier League debut for young starlet Marquinhos ahead of the match with Brentford on Sunday. The Brazilian has impressed in his first outing for the club, with the manager keen to praise his start at the club.
Signing from Sao Paulo in the summer for roughly £3million, the 19-year-old was seen as a future prospect for the Gunners, with a potential season spent in the academy side. Things have progressed quicker than expected, with Marquinhos already being involved in a senior first-team capacity.
While it started with training sessions and some squad appearances, he made his full debut against FC Zurich in the first Group A game of the Europa League. He took the opportunity with both hands, grabbing a goal and an assist in a 2-1 victory over the Swiss hosts.
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With Bukayo Saka the only first-team option on the right flank, there could be hopes that the summer arrival can now fill that void and be a useful rotation option as part of his development. If there were any doubts as to the talent the north London side have on their hands, Marquinhos made the final 40 shortlist for the 2022 Golden Boy award, surrounded by names such as Pedri and Jamal Musiala.
On the youngster's performance against Zurich, Arteta said: "He's a player that is very popular, with no English. Just with his smile and attitude, he has won the respect and admiration of everybody here.
"It was a big step for him because he hasn't played enough minutes with us, but we were willing to give him the opportunity, I think he deserved it, and he took it really well. He's a player who needs to keep developing, and in order to do that, we have to give him minutes and opportunities."
With one milestone out of the way, the next one will be surrounding his introduction to the Premier League. The coaching staff may have to be cautious in how they approach it, given that he is still on his path to development in senior football.
Despite that, the manager dropped a potential hint at a Premier League debut before the clash with Brentford on Sunday: "We want to build the steps, and when we have asked him to play with the U23s, he has done incredibly well, his attitude always by every coach and players has been seen as it cannot be any better.
"That's what we expect from the players. That's why he got the chance against Zurich, and he might get another chance very soon."
It remains to be seen just how soon that chance may be for the young Brazilian, but if he can replicate his full Arsenal debut, he will be on to winning many more fans along his journey.
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