Real clinch Marcelo signing

Real Madrid have clinched the signing of Marcelo from Fluminense for ‚é¼7 million.

Real Madrid have clinched the signing of Marcelo from Fluminense, for a deal reported to be worth around ‚é¼7 million (£4.75 million).

The 18-year-old left-sided defender has signed a six-year deal at the Santiago Bernabeu and is viewed as the long-term replacement for Roberto Carlos.

After undergoing a medical in Madrid on Wednesday, Marcelo will be free to move to Spain when the transfer window opens again in January.

It is believed that he could spend the second half of the current campaign playing for Real Madrid Castilla in the Spanish Second Division as he adapts to his new surroundings.

Club president, Ramon Calderon, was delighted to have captured the highly-rated young full back and stated that Roberto Carlos has welcomed the move too.

"He is an important signing for us," the Madrid supremo said. "He is a young player who will inject some freshness into the side and is part of our plan to bring younger players into the squad.

"We are very happy because he is a pearl that half of Europe wanted.

"Roberto Carlos is very happy and Marcelo is coming to replace him, when he allows him to!"

So happy is Roberto Carlos by the signing that he has joined his compatriot in putting pen-to-paper - on a new one-year contract extension.

The veteran defender will stay at the club until 2008 after talks over a new deal were finally resolved following the omission of a buy-out clause from the contract.