Brazilian winger Marquinhos is set to return to Arsenal, with Cruzeiro unable to agree a new deal with the Gunners.
That’s [according to journalist Jorge Nicola](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x7O8Fbsz3A), who reports that Arsenal’s refusal to do a new loan deal for the 22-year-old has ended any hope of the player remaining at the Brazilian club.
Marquinhos has been on loan at Cruzeiro since August after a similar loan deal at Fluminense came to an end.
He’s not played for them this month, though, with it explained in Brazil that the current loan deal includes a clause for it to be made permanent once he’d played a certain number of games.
Cruzeiro wanted to avoid that and had been negotiating with Arsenal about the terms of the deal. They wanted to secure a new loan deal instead to further assess the winger before making a more permanent decision.
Negotiations between the two clubs were firmly underway but it appears that they have not been fruitful, and the forward will instead be returning to Arsenal, where it remains to be seen what the future holds for him.
“Last week, Cruzeiro’s directors contacted the player’s staff to make it very clear that we no longer count on Marquinhos and we intend to return him to Arsenal,” Nicola explained.
“The big problem is that the English club that owns the economic rights of the 22-year-old player has already stated that it will not accept the return. Arsenal, in fact, is against re-loaning the player.
“It is worth remembering that Marquinhos is on loan until December and the purchase option is very close to becoming an obligation. He has 16 appearances and if he enters the field one more time, Cruzeiro will be forced to buy him for something around €4m.
“And that is precisely why Cruzeiro decided that it will no longer use Marquinhos, a player who is not in coach Leonardo Jardim’s plans. Cruzeiro tried to convince Arsenal to increase the limit of games that would make the obligation, Arsenal did not accept.”