Arsenal were looking to sign a right winger before the transfer window shut as they tried to find back-up for Bukayo Saka following Nicolas Pepe's exit.
Cody Gakpo, Allan Saint-Maximim and Anthony Gordon were all linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer as Mikel Arteta chased another wide player. Raphinha had also been talked about as a possible target before he made the big-money move to Barcelona back in July, as the Gunners tried to replace Pepe, who joined Nice on loan.
Despite being linked with a move for a winger, Arteta decided to stick with his current squad and put faith in new signing Marquinhos, who made the £3m move from Sao Paulo in June. The 19-year-old is a highly-talented attacker but hasn't even made 50 senior appearances during his short career so far.
However, Marquinhos showed what he is all about on his Gunners debut as he scored in a 2-1 win over FC Zurich on Thursday night. Eddie Nketiah also netted as Arsenal started off their Europa League campaign with three points.
It has now been revealed that Arteta turned down the chance to sign another winger as he wanted to give Marquinhos a go in the first-team. According to football.london, the Gunners have put trust in their new signing and hope to give him regular game time in the Europa League and cup competitions this season.
The base of a young, yet exciting team full of potential has been built, led by an up-and-coming manager who is hungry to get the club back to its best. However, the focus must always remain on continuously raising the bar, no matter how strong Arteta's squad is looking. It means showing ruthlessness, whether that's in January or next summer.
As part of that process, one of the main decisions for Arteta and technical director Edu will most likely be centred around Marquinhos. He arrived in June after a deal was struck, an investment with the future very much in mind. Despite there being a real possibility of a loan move, the Brazilian's impressive start to life in Arsenal colours turned heads and he has remained in north London as a result.
"His language is not great yet but I think his physicality has been pretty exceptional, for someone who has come from Brazil and has a different way to train and play, but he’s done it," Arteta said. "I think he’s got the qualities for how we want to play. We will keep him here for another few months and make sure that he establishes himself at the club and in the team. Afterwards, we’ll see what the best movement is for his career."
Three goals and an assist in two games for the Arsenal Under-21s was perhaps a sign that Marquinhos is too talented for that level and so a tougher challenge awaited - a Europa League debut. And Marquinhos took the opportunity with both hands by scoring and grabbing an assist for Nketiah's winner.
Arsenal's decision to stick with Marquinhos follows a similar strategy to one Liverpool adopt, where they blood through youngsters and give them regular game time. Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho are the biggest beneficiaries to that transfer plan, with both players given consistent minutes this season.
The duo were both brought from Fulham and have been handed chances in the first-team by Jurgen Klopp - something that rarely happens in other sides in the top-six. Chelsea are usually very good at this, while Manchester City have given some youngsters game time such as Liam Delap and Cole Palmer.
