Granit Xhaka has compared new Arsenal youngster Marquinhos to fellow teammate Gabriel Martinelli, claiming that he is ready to play in the first team.
19-year-old Marquinhos joined Arsenal in the summer from Sao Paulo and has featured regularly during the club’s pre-season fixtures, although the winger is not expected to be used in anything more than a rotation role this season.
The Gunners already have quite impressive forward options like Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and the aforementioned Martinelli.
However, Xhaka believes that like Martinelli, fellow Brazilian Marquinhos will be quick to adapt to his new club, having been impressed by the player in training. ‘He reminds me of Gabi Martinelli when he first came, everyone was saying “yeah, he will go to the under-23s first” and stuff like this, but how Gabi adapted at this level was unbelievable, and I have the same feeling with Marquinhos as well,’ the Swiss midfielder told Arsenal’s official matchday programme. ‘For his age he is very developed physically, very fast, good left foot.