Vickery says Arsenal new boy Marquinhos 'bought for potential not reality'

Marquinhos, 19, recently joined the Gunners from Sao Paulo on a long-term contract.

The Brazil youth international made his Sao Paulo debut as an 18-year-old last July and went on to make 41 appearances for the Brazilian giants.

He also helped his former side win the regional Campeonato Paulista in 2021, and was a standout performer under former boss and ex-Chelsea forward Hernan Crespo.

Vickery says Arsenal fans should be excited about the capture of their new forward, but should not expect him to fix their current problems.

"He's a Gabriel Martinelli, one for the future," Vickery told talkSPORT.

"They are not going to have to a pay a great deal for him.

"He announced himself late last year, about a year ago, he started in the Copa Libertadores away in Argentina against Racing, and he was magnificent.

"He reminded me a little bit of Douglas Costa, previously of Bayern Munich and Juventus.

"Squat little figure, left-footed, can play across the attacking line, looks very very talented indeed.

"After that, he had some injuries, and the team wasn't doing very well.

"Hernan Crespo, the former Chelsea player, lost his job at Sao Paulo, so he [Marquinhos] has since been a bit-part player for them.

"So Arsenal are buying this one, much more on promise, than reality.

"He is not a player that is going to solve Arsenal's problems immediately, but for the long-term.

"If he lives up to Gabriel Martinelli - it will be a shrewd piece of business."

Meanwhile, Arsenal technical director Edu is delighted to capture the highly-rated teenager, who he has been watching for a while.

"He is still very young, so he is a player for the future," he said.

"Marquinhos was a player we had been watching for a while.

"We look forward to him now joining us for pre-season, making his new home, and continuing to grow and develop with us."