Arsenal could potentially face a transfer ban as their pursuit of Brazilian wonderkid Marquinhos threatens to turn into a lengthy legal battle.
The Gunners are believed to be edging towards a deal for the Sao Paulo starlet as Mikel Arteta aims to kick-off the shake-up of his current squad at the Emirates Stadium. A move is anticipated to be announced in the coming days with the 19-year-old having said to have travelled to London to complete a medical and agreed to a deal.
However, their efforts to conclude a summer swoop are complicated by Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers. According to Yahoo Sports in Brazil, the Midlands club are seeking advice from a legal firm in Brazil to take action against the player.
It is detailed that Wolves agreed a pre-contract agreement with Marquinhos to take him to Molineux this summer, although it appears that his final destination will now be north London. The Daily Mail have reported that Wolves could also potentially take action against both Arsenal and the forward’s current club Sao Paulo in a situation that is threatening to get increasingly messy.
Unfortunately, a recent precedent has been set within the game that could potentially see the Gunners subjected to a transfer ban. French club Marseille were slapped with a two-window transfer for signing Senegalese midfielder Pape Gueye from Le Havre in 2020.
It was originally thought that he was set to sign for Watford having reportedly penned a pre-contract agreement with the Hornets and seemingly having completed all of his promotional commitments ahead of arriving at Vicarage Road. However, he then signed a four-year deal with Marseille, leaving the Hornets furious.
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As punishment, the Ligue 1 side were banned from welcoming any players to the club for two windows and told to pay Watford €2.5million, whilst the player himself was slapped with a four-month suspension from playing. Marseille have since appealed the sanctions to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with the ban having now been postponed.
It of course remains to be seen whether the same will happen to Arsenal this summer although legal action and a ban would likely round off a thoroughly depressing few months for Mikel Arteta and the Gunners. The north London side appeared to be in prime position for a Champions League position heading into the final few games of the campaign, only to see their form desert them and Tottenham nick fourth.
Arsenal will now play in the Europa League next season, something that could cost them up to £70m in revenue heading into the new season. The Gunners though have managed to recoup a small amount already, with Matteo Guendouzi and Konstantinos Mavropanos having departed the Emirates Stadium on a permanent basis for a combined fee of £11.5m.
