Arsenal bring 20-year-old back to club after disaster loan with future unclear

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Arsenal have confirmed that they have recalled winger Marquinhos from his loan spell at FC Nantes.

The 20-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Norwich, but after scoring on his debut he failed to make an impact at all.

Marquinhos arrived from Sao Paolo in the summer of 2022, and scored a stunner on his first-team debut in a Europa League tie at FC Zurich. However, in six total appearances, he failed to contribute much beyond that.

He joined Nantes in the summer in the hope of securing regular game time, but made just seven appearances, and failed to provide a single goal or assist, and it previously emerged that Arsenal were considering a recall as a result of this lack of minutes.

The Brazilian has been recalled ahead of the 2024 CONMEBOL under-23 pre-Olympic tournament in Venezuela, where he is set to participate, but it still unclear what the rest of the season holds in store for him.

Arsenal recall Marquinhos from FC Nantes

Arsenal have now confirmed that the winger has returned to the club, and that he will shortly depart again for the tournament.

Marquinhos could either stay at the club for the rest of the season once the tournament ends, and gain experience in North London with the reserve sides, or he could head out on another loan.

His lack of success on his loan spells so far suggests that he may not be fully ready to be away from the club in a different country as a first-team player, and he may benefit from being monitored closely at Arsenal and building up some form with the reserves.

What should Marquinhos do next after Nantes loan?

If he does remain at the club, he could be a bench option for Mikel Arteta, given that other youngsters in Charles Sagoe Jr and Amario Cozier-Duberry have featured on the bench on several occasions.

However, it seems highly unlikely that the Brazilian will feature for the first-team at any point this season. Arsenal are now out of both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, and are aiming to compete in the Premier League title race alongside their Champions League campaign.

If a loan offer does come in for Marquinhos, there are plenty of factors to consider before sanctioning another move. He would need to be at a club which offers him regular game time, and can play in a team suited to his style of play to allow him to thrive.

Another failed loan could be a disaster, as his long-term future at Arsenal is already doubtful, and regular game time with the Arsenal under-23s would be better for him than another unproductive spell away.