BARCELONA HAVE AGREED a deal to sign Fluminense starlet Marlon on loan with the option to buy, the Brazilian club has confirmed.

According to Globoesporte, the 20-year-old defender will play for Barcelona B during their 2016-17 campaign and will cost the Spanish champions €6 million to sign permanently.

If Marlon makes an appearance for the first team during his loan spell, however, the fee will rise to €8m and if he plays five senior matches Barcelona will be obligated to buy him.

“He was loaned to Barcelona for a year with a purchase option until July 2017,” Fluminense sporting director Jorge Macedo said.

Marlon is highly rated in Brazil and has been compared to Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Thiago Silva, who also came through the youth ranks at Fluminense.

He has struggled to hit his best form in 2016, however, and missed out on a place in Brazil’s squad for the Olympic Games after being dropped by his club.

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