Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Marquinhos from Sao Paulo, although there is still one issue to solve before the Brazilian is able to join his new teammates for pre-season training in a couple of weeks.
As the 19-year-old doesn't hold a British passport, it means the Gunners must secure a work permit in order to register him as their player for next season and football.london understands, the club are confident of getting that done.
Perhaps the reason behind Arsenal's confidence in securing a work permit for Marquinhos is with regards to the new rules which came into place from January 1, 2021 affecting the transfers of overseas players to the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL) post Brexit.
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As per the Football Association's official website, the agreed plan with the Premier League and EFL for entry requirements for overseas players post Brexit is as follows: "Post Brexit, clubs will not be able to sign players freely from the EU. Players from EU countries who want to play in the Premier League or EFL will be required to gain a GBE, like all other overseas players without the right to work in the UK.
"The GBE will operate a points-based system, where points are scored for senior and talented young players based on:
• Senior and youth international appearances
• Quality of the selling club, based on the league they are in, league position and progression in continental competition
• Club appearances, based on domestic league and continental competition minutes
"Players accumulating the requisite amount of points will earn a GBE automatically, while players just below the threshold may be considered for a GBE by an Exceptions Panel. The system meets the joint objectives of the Premier League, EFL and the FA allowing access to the best players and future talent for clubs, as well as safeguarding England teams, by ensuring opportunities for homegrown players.
"In the Premier League, the number of overseas U21 players a club can sign will be limited to three in the January transfer window and six per season moving forwards. This enables the recruitment of the best players from around the world to train and play together with homegrown talent. Under FIFA’s rules, the UK’s exit from the EU will also mean that clubs will not be able to sign players from overseas until they are 18."
And thanks to World Football Index's explanation, the rule change should make it easier for Arsenal to obtain a work permit for Marquinhos despite the fact he's yet to be capped by the senior Brazil national team. This is because the teenager is likely to accumulate a total of 15 points required to meet the criteria to be granted a work permit.
In fact, judging by the youngster's Instagram Stories where he's uploaded an image of him at London Colney with Gunners technical director Edu with two captions that read: "we follow" and "the dream continues" it may hint that a work permit has already been secured.
As the winger has featured regularly for Sao Paulo over the past 12 months and they are a Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamerica side - two continental competitions in South America which are considered the European equivalents to the Champions League and Europa League - he is 'almost guaranteed a work permit' having accumulated a total of 276 minutes in the past two years.
Furthermore, as Marquinhos played for a Brazilian side 'he should pass the entry requirements with flying colours' because the Brasileiro Serie A is considered Band 3 domestic league under the new guidelines and he has racked up a total of 708 minutes in the competition in the past two years.
Under previous rules, Arsenal may not have obtained a work permit for Marquinhos and would have had to send him out on loan to a European club to complete the process of getting one, but thanks to the new rule change it's easier to secure a work permit for players from other continents, especially South America.
