Who is Arsenal new boy Marquinhos?

The 19-year-old has penned a long-term contract in North London, believed to be a four-year deal with the option of an additional 12 months until 2027, and he will soon link up with the squad for pre-season.

Marquinhos will be given the chance to prove his worth to Mikel Arteta over the next couple of months, but the Brazilian could very well be sent out on loan or demoted to the Under-23s to improve his development in England.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at Marquinhos's career so far and what fans can expect to see from the South American starlet.

Early beginnings

Born in Sao Paulo in April 2003 - which would make Marquinhos, full name Marcus Vinicius Oliveira Alencar, just a year old when Arsenal's Invincibles sealed their last Premier League title - the Brazilian immediately joined the youth ranks at his hometown club.

The 5ft 10in attacker would soon garner a reputation as a capable and direct dribbler who was not afraid to shoot from distance or take on set-piece responsibility, and he quickly rose through the youth ranks at Sao Paulo as a teenager.

Marquinhos was promoted to the senior team in the summer of 2021 and made his first-team debut for Sao Paulo as an 18-year-old last year, playing the final 12 minutes of a home win over Bahia.

The teenager's debut campaign for Sao Paulo would see him make a total of 21 appearances for the Brazilian outfit in the Serie A season - starting five of them - although he only had one assist to show for his efforts domestically.

Recent form

Marquinhos's finest showing in a Sao Paulo shirt arguably came during his first-ever Copa Libertadores start, as the Soberano travelled to Argentina for the second leg of their last-16 tie after being forced to accept a 1-1 draw on home soil.

With Sao Paulo already a goal to the good thanks to Emiliano Rigoni's opener, Marquinhos would find a gap in the Racing defence before finishing into the bottom corner, and he quickly set up a Rigoni tap-in after shrugging off the attention of Nery Dominguez.

Marquinhos continued to demonstrate his affinity for taking on a man and having a crack from distance, as well as his strong physical stature and ability to draw fouls, while he also gained continental experience in the Copa Sudamericana earlier in 2022.

In total, the 19-year-old made 41 appearances for Sao Paulo across all competitions - scoring four goals and providing three assists - but he only made one substitute Serie A appearance earlier this calendar year amid the ongoing negotiations with the Gunners.

Marquinhos was set to be available on a free transfer this summer due to a loophole in his contract, but Arsenal elected to pay a small fee for the left-footed winger, who predominantly features on the right-hand side but can also switch to the left or play as part of a front two.

However, Wolverhampton Wanderers had allegedly already come to a pre-contract agreement with Marquinhos, and a legal battle could now ensue following Arsenal's announcement of his signing.

International experience

Selecao stints have been few and far between for Marquinhos, who represented Brazil at Under-16 and Under-17 level but has not been given an opportunity to showcase his talent at a higher rank.

Marquinhos actually made his debut for the Under-17 team first, making three substitute appearances in the 2019 Under-17 South American Championship against Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina.

Marquinhos would play just 28 minutes in the tournament's group stage alongside Real Madrid prospect Reinier, and he would move down a notch to the Under-16s a couple of weeks later.

The former Sao Paulo youngster netted on his debut for the Under-16s in a friendly against a Mexico side with his new teammate Marcelo Flores on the bench, although Brazil still lost the game 2-1.

Marquinhos made three further appearances for the Selecao's Under-16s and set up Marcos Leonardo's winner against Spain that same month, but it has now been over three years since he last pulled on a Brazil shirt.

The South American will hope to follow a similar path to that of Gabriel Martinelli at the Emirates, and the two Brazilian starlets linking up in North London could be a fearsome prospect in a few years' time.