Arsenal have six senior players on loan for the 2024/25 season, with some making more of an impact than others.
Mikel Arteta sanctioned exits for the six players in order to grant them consistent game time and the room to flourish away from the Emirates.
Some have made their mark and others not so much, with Nuno Tavares valued highly at Lazio while Karl Hein has been tormented by Kylian Mbappe.
As well as the two players above, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Marquinhos are out on loan, with the latter the furthest away from North London.
Arsenal loan update on Marquinhos
Arsenal signed Marquinhos in 2022 and since, the Brazilian has travelled far and wide in search of game time.
Having tackled loans at Norwich City, Nantes and Fluminense, the winger was given a second chance at impressing in his homeland as Marquinhos joined Cruzeiro in January.
It’s been a tough ride for the 21-year-old, who is now eager to tie down some consistent game time in Brazil.
To get the low down on how Marquinhos is doing at Cruzeiro, Arsenal Insider spoke to Brazilian journalist Rogerio Amaral Junior.
How is Marquinhos viewed in Brazil?
“Marquinhos is seen in Brazil as a player with potential, but who has not yet managed to establish himself as a great athlete.
“At Fluminense, last year, he was unable to play great games. He was a starter at times during the season, but the fans always expected a little more from him. In total there were 29 games, two goals and two assists at Fluminense.”
How is Marquinhos doing at Cruzeiro?
“He was hired by Cruzeiro this season at the request of Fernando Diniz (his former coach at Fluminense), but Diniz has already been fired. Now, Marquinhos will be trained by Leonardo Jardim (ex-Monaco).
“This start of the year has been positive for him. He played good games and already has one goal and an assist in five matches. However, at the moment the regional championship is being played, a competition with teams from lower divisions.”
Marquinhos’ future at Arsenal is unlikely
While the winger has the time to perfect his craft, still being in the early stages of his career, the Brazilian has had a trialling time of late.
Fluminense decided not to sign Marquinhos and sent the forward back to Arsenal, who then loaned the player to Cruzeiro.
A similar outcome happened earlier in the 21-year-old’s career, as Arsenal recalled Marquinhos from Nantes after a disastrous loan spell in France.
As figures such as Rogerio Amaral Junior have been monitoring what the Arsenal loanee has been doing in Brazil, we asked what the chances of the wide player making it in the Premier League are.
“To be honest, I don’t believe that Marquinhos can be useful to Arsenal in a short period,” the journalist admitted.
“His performance is still not at the level of the best players in Brazil, so he is still below the level of England.
“Because he’s still young, I think he could make a leap in quality, but I believe he would still have to go to a smaller team in Europe before perhaps having a chance at Arsenal. But I don’t see that happening any time soon.”
It remains to be seen what Arsenal decide to do with Marquinhos, whose contract at Cruzeiro includes an option to buy, and whose current deal at the Emirates expires in 2027.
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