Marquinhos breaks silence on Arsenal transfer with farewell message to Sao Paulo

Arsenal's first recruit of the summer transfer window Marquinhos has admitted that his decision to leave Sao Paulo for Arsenal "wasn't easy" as he said his farewells to his former employers in a long Instagram reel posted on his social media following his move.

The Gunners had faced competition from Wolves for Marquinhos' signature, but have now won the race to get their man. It is expected that he will now join up with the Gunners for pre-season, with players set to report back to London Colney in two weeks' time.

“We’re delighted to have completed the transfer with Sao Paulo, as Marquinhos was a player we had been watching for a while," said technical director Edu. "At 19, he is still very young, so he is a player for the future. We look forward to Marquinhos now joining us for pre-season, making his new home, and continuing to grow and develop with us.”

With the likes of Aaron Hickey and Gabriel Jesus on the agenda for the Arsenal board, Edu is expected to be busy at work as he and the Kroenkes look to satisfy Mikel Arteta. Although he is not expected to have much first-team time in 2022/23, Marquinhos' signing represents a positive step forward into what could be a fruitful and youthful future for Arsenal.

Marquinhos referenced his bond with Sao Paulo in an emotional farewell message that was delivered to the supporters back in South America. His Instagram reel on @_marquinhos011 translates as: "The moment has come. Farewell is never easy and this time will not be any different.

"I arrived at the club at eight years of age, where I learnt everything about football. Here I grew as an athlete, as an individual, I won games, won tournaments but above all, I made friendships I will carry for the rest of my life.