Arsenal's attempts to sign Sao Paolo starlet Marquinhos this summer have been complicated by the revelation that the 19-year-old has already struck a deal to join Wolves.
The Gunners have been in talks with both Sao Paolo and Marquinhos over a £3m deal that was expected to be completed this summer.
However, things have taken an unexpected twist as numerous outlets have reported that the winger, whose Sao Paolo contract is understood to be expiring this summer, had already put pen to paper on a pre-contract agreement with Wolves.
First it was Jorge Nicola who revealed that Wolves had hired a Brazilian law firm to take action against Marquinhos, who is accused of breaking the terms of his written agreement with the Midlands club to sign for Arsenal.
The legal dispute was later confirmed by the Daily Mail, who add Sao Paolo made the decision to offer Marquinhos to Arsenal for a small fee before his contract expired and he walked away for nothing.
As a result, Wolves are said to be considering legal action against Sao Paolo as well as the player.
To add to all the complication, Sao Paolo have disputed the length of Marquinhos' contract. Back in 2019, a 16-year-old Marquinhos inked a five-year deal to commit himself to the club until 2024, but that went against FIFA's rules, which state that underage players can only sign for three years.
In FIFA's eyes, Marquinhos is a free agent this summer and that is why Wolves have moved to try sign him for free, but Sao Paolo moved to try to sell the young winger by arguing that he is still under contract for two more years.
Wolves are expected to consider all their options in the coming days, with legal action against Arsenal not ruled out either.
Source : 90min