Barcelona defender Marlon close to Sassuolo switch

22-year-old Barcelona defender Marlos is on the verge of completing a move to Italian club Sassuolo, according to Mundo Deportivo. Sassuolo have reportedly submitted a bid in the region of €12m amidst interest from other clubs, including Borussia Monchengladbach and a couple of Premier League sides as well. Newcastle are also kee on securing a deal for the youngster who joined Barcelona in 2016.

Marlon has been with the Catalans for a couple of years, but has made just 3 appearances for the side, spending a considerable amount of time on loan at Nice. The Brazilian has immense talent but with Barcelona possessing a stacked defence, it is unlikely he will receive much game time this season and should look for a move away. Moreover, the Catalans giants will need to ship him out simply due to the number of non-EU players in their squad. They are unlikely to want to register him for the coming season and that should tempt a number of other clubs into getting in on the bidding – if Sassuolo fail in their pursuit of the player.

The 22-year-old has numerous strengths, including the versatility to play in a number of different set-ups. He is aggressive going into tackles and extremely comfortable in possession – a key requirement in any Barcelona player. However, he does possess a few glaring weaknesses, including his knack of being drawn out of position far too easily and far from threatening aerial presence.

Sassuolo finished a respectable 11th last season, but shipped as many as 59 goals – a figure that will reduce significantly with Marlon’s presence. They will be targeting a top half finish this time, especially considering how active they have been in the market, securing the services of Di Francesco, Jens Odgaard, and Jeremie Boga amongst others.