RB Leipzig confirm the signing of the ‘new Marcelo’ Luan Candido

RB Leipzig have completed the signing of Brazilian left-back Luan Candido from SE Palmeiras on a four-year contract.
The 18-year-old was on the radar of a number of elite clubs but has penned a deal at the Red Bull Arena until the summer of 2023.
Who is Luan Candido? Five key things to know…
- Nominally a full-back by trade, Candido is capable of playing any role on the left wing.
- At 18 he is yet to feature for the Palmeiras first team but has attracted plenty of attention from overseas.
- Barcelona were strong favourites for his signature with the club looking to find a long-term successor to Jordi Alba.
- Candido is capped at Brazil U17 and U20 level.
- For the Selecao Sub-20 he has made eight appearances and registered one goal from left-back.
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Candido becomes the second player to join the club this summer after Die Bullen secured the signature of another coveted teenage starlet in Hannes Wolf from Red Bull Salzburg.
However, there is arguably more excitement surrounding Candido, who has been aptly dubbed the ‘new Marcelo’ courtesy of the comparable traits he shares with the Real Madrid left-back.
✅🆕 Zweiter Sommer-Neuzugang#DieRotenBullen 🔴⚪ verpflichten Luan #Candido vom 🇧🇷 brasilianischen Rekordmeister @Palmeiras. Der 18-jährige Linksfuß erhält einen Vertrag bis 2023.
🤗👋 Bem vindo, Luan!#WillkommenLuan pic.twitter.com/PzoIXUbJqt
— RB Leipzig (@RBLeipzig) March 28, 2019
Juventus and Man City were reportedly interested in the Paulistano but he has opted to ply his trade on German soil, linking up with current Hoffenheim coach, Julian Nagelsmann, who will take over the reins from Ralf Rangnick at the end of the season.
It was believed City had an option to buy the player after agreeing a condition during the club’s previous dealings with Palmeiras when they signed Gabriel Jesus.
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How good is Luan Candido?
Candido was part of the Guardian’s Next Generation 2018 series, with journalist Thiago Rabelo explaining how he is “the most promising left-back to come out of Brazil since Marcelo” and “so talented, he is often used as a midfielder or forward, showing his versatility and attacking instincts.”
Such has been his rapid rise to relative prominence that Barcelona were believed to be strong favourites to secure his services, with the club identifying him as a potential long-term successor to Jordi Alba.
With Alba entering the twilight years of his career, manager Ernesto Valverde will be keen to find a future replacement, with the Spaniard’s role imperative to the club’s style of play.
And so, with Candido a player whose game is comparable to that of Marcelo’s, he would have certainly been able to remedy the Alba void were he to step in for the seasoned full-back, but with a move failing to transpire in Catalonia, Nagelsmann will now be rubbing his hands.