Newcastle United are on the brink of securing a £1.8million (€2million) loan move for Barcelona centre back Marlon, according to Sport.
The Spanish publication claim that the final hurdle of the deal is getting the 22-year-old Brazilian a work permit to allow him to play in the Premier League, and that once the paperwork is finalised the Magpies will be able to complete the temporary swoop, with no purchase clause reported.
The defender has just three appearances for Barcelona’s first team under his belt, and spent last season out on loan at French side OGC Nice, where he went on to make 27 appearances as he jumped in and out of the starting XI.
Good move for Newcastle?
He is very much an unproven talent at the top level so far so the Toon Army cannot expect him to be a top class performer just because he might arrive from Barcelona, but the fact he is at the La Liga giants does tell you something about his quality.
Were he to move to St James’ Park, he would be acting as backup to the likes of Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles, and would likely take Florian Lejeune’s place in the squad after the Frenchman’s serious injury in pre-season.
There is no telling whether he has the qualities to be a Premier League star, but considering Rafael Benitez’s links in Spain, he will have got the inside track on whether he has what it takes.
This is Futbol rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
There is no smoke without fire, and with Benitez likely to have plenty of contacts around the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, he may well have been alerted to Marlon’s availability.
With defensive cover needed, this one could well have some legs, but at £1.8million it looks like a hefty loan fee for someone not guaranteed to play regularly.
This is Futbol rating: 5/10