Barcelona are in talks to sign central defender Marquinhos from Paris Saint-Germain as they search for a long-term replacement for departing skipper Carles Puyol.
Barca are understood to be offering around ¤20 million (Dh100.2m) plus right-back Dani Alves, who is in the last year of his contract at the Nou Camp, for the 20-year-old centre-back.
The Spanish club have moved for Marquinhos after their attempts to sign another Brazilian defender, David Luiz from Chelsea, were thwarted for a second time after PSG moved in.
But the imminent arrival of Luiz in the French capital, where he will partner international team-mate Thiago Silva, means PSG are now prepared to allow Marquinhos to leave.
Another consequence of the anticipated deal would be Barca stepping up their efforts to sign right-sided Colombian international Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina as a replacement for Alves.
Marquinhos has only spent one season in France, where he helped PSG win their second consecutive Ligue 1 title after a ¤32m (Dh160.3m) move from Roma. He made 21 league appearances – most of them starts – as the Parisian club comfortably held off Monaco to claim the title by nine points.
The Brazilian international also made eight Champions League appearances as PSG advanced to the quarter-finals for the second successive season.
Marquinhos could become the second arrival at the Nou Camp this summer following the confirmation that goalkeeper Marc-Ander ter Stegen has arrived on a free transfer from Borussia Moenchengladbach to replace Victor Valdes.
It will be a busy summer for the Catalan club after new boss Luis Enrique promised a significant shake-up of his playing squad, but one player who will definitely be staying – perhaps to play alongside Marquinhos in the centre of defence – is Gerard Pique, who yesterday signed a new contract to stay with the club until 2019.
In addition to ter Stegen, there has also been a confirmed addition to the youth ranks with the completion of attacking midfielder Alen Halilovic’s move from Dinamo Zagreb.
The 17-year old, who missed out on Croatia’s World Cup squad, will initially join Barca’s B team.
