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Is Marquinhos on his way to FC Barcelona?

By Vijay Vemu

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 12: Marquinhos of Paris Saint-Germain is disapointed after the defeact during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final second leg match between Manchester City FC and Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad Stadium on April 12, 2016 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images )
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 12: Marquinhos of Paris Saint-Germain is disapointed after the defeact during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final second leg match between Manchester City FC and Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad Stadium on April 12, 2016 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images ) /
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FC Barcelona has been heavily linked to the PSG defender and is set on adding him to the backline.

Although FC Barcelona looking to be on their way to a Spanish double, they could have won a back to back treble. Those dreams were crushed due to a poor run of form in which they saw themselves be eliminated from the Champions League by Atletico Madrid.

The Catalans looked out of shape and tired and it is something that manager Luis Enrique must address. Given that Enrique loves to keep with the same players week in and week out, fatigue is a big problem that his teams will encounter. The lack of a quality second striker and the backline really hurt the Catalans. In the striker position and the center back positions are the biggest areas for improvement.

Barcelona has been linked to numerous defenders over the past couple of months. They have been linked to the likes of Mats Hummels, Aymeric Laporte, and even Thiago Silva. But none of those links have gotten anything as Hummels confirmed a move to Bayern Munich and Laporte signed a new deal with his club Atletic Bilbao. Silva could be on his way to the Camp Nou but that seems unlikely at this point. But Barcelona has also been heavily linked to another defender, the Brazilian center back Marquinhos.

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Marquinhos, who currently plays for PSG, has been fantastic for the French giants this season. He has proven to be a versatile defender, as he can play in the center and on the right, and has earned himself playing time. His speed can help with overlapping runs on the wing, which perfectly fits Barcelona’s style. Even if he doesn’t start every week for Barcelona, Marquinhos can be a solid off the bench player. Although he isn’t likely to start now, he could see himself in a starting role in the future as a possible replacement for Javier Mascherano. He has been linked to Barcelona prior to the 2014 World Cup and could be finally on his way to the Camp Nou.

According to the Spanish media (Mundo Deportivo) and SB Nation’s FC Barcelona Blog, Marquinhos has submitted a transfer request to PSG. Barcelona will have to pay his 40 million Euro release clause, which they are more than willing to do. The transfer ban for Barcelona is over and if they want quality defenders, they will have to spend.

With the backline getting older and the backups like Jeremy Mathieu and Thomas Vermaelen showing that they struggle in a starting role, Barcelona need young talent. Marquinhos could be that talent.

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