Chelsea are looking to sign a defender this summer and Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Marquinhos has been a long-term target for the Premier League giants.
Apparently Jose Mourinho was keen to bring the Brazilian to Stamford Bridge while he was there and the Blues are looking to make a move again at the end of the season.
The highly talented defender has failed to make his mark in Paris due to limited opportunities. The likes of David Luiz and Thiago Silva were marquee signings for the French champions and were automatically given more first team opportunities in their natural positions.
The former Roma defender was regarded as one of the finest young defensive talents a couple of years ago and will have a fair few suitors if he decided to leave PSG at the end of this season.
Speaking to Squawka ahead of the return leg against Chelsea, Marquinhos revealed his admiration for the Premier League and stated his desire to play in the Premier League one day.
“The Premier League is the number one best league in the world,” Marquinhos said. “It’s a very competitive football. There are not weak teams at all.”
“I just like the league itself but I haven’t got an English side that I follow closely,” he added.
“It’d be fantastic to have this opportunity [to play in England] one day, but now I’m focused on PSG.”
Marquinhos’ comments will surely fuel further speculations regarding a summer move.
Chelsea understand that their other defensive targets (John Stones and Raphael Varane) might not be available, especially without the promise of Champions League football.
In the case of Marquinhos, the defender needs to play regularly at this age and he will surely consider a move to a club like Chelsea regardless of their current state.
Club legend John Terry is expected to leave at the end of the season and bringing Marquinhos in would be a wise move to replace their best defender.
Although the Brazilian is not as mature and polished as the England defender, he has the potential to become a world-class centre back from the Londoners under the right guidance and with regular first team opportunities.
The 21-year-old is a technically gifted defender who specialises in his reading of the game and will add a different dimension to the Chelsea side with his assured distribution from the back.
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