Arsenal ahead in pursuit of 'special' 18-year-old to replace one of their most talented stars: report

Arsenal have moved to the front of the queue for São Paulo’s 18-year-old winger Lucca Marques, according to a report in German outlet BILD, as the Gunners line up a long-term successor to one of their brightest academy graduates.

With the Premier League title race reaching boiling point, Mikel Arteta’s recruitment staff are already mapping out summer reinforcements. Lucca, the youngest player ever to appear for São Paulo and a scorer in this season’s Copa Libertadores, has emerged as a prime target ahead of Borussia Dortmund, who view the Brazilian as the next raw gem to follow Ousmane Dembélé, Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho through their famed development pathway.

Arsenal’s interest comes amid growing uncertainty over the future of 17-year-old attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri. BBC Sport’s Sami Mokbel revealed that Nwaneri, along with fellow Hale End product Myles Lewis-Skelly, has been made available for transfer as the club seek “pure profit” sales to offset heavy spending last summer. Senior winger Gabriel Martinelli, who has managed only one league goal this term, is also open to offers.

Lucca is contracted to São Paulo until 2028, meaning any deal would likely command a sizeable fee. BILD notes that “other European clubs” are monitoring the teenager, but Arsenal currently hold the advantage in the race for his signature.

Arsenal return to domestic action this weekend with a home fixture against Bournemouth, yet the club’s long-term planning is already focused on refreshing an attacking unit that could lose both established and emerging talent in the coming window.