Atletico Madrid close to signing Fluminense star Marcos Paulo

Atletico Madrid are close to signing Marcos Paulo from Fluminense, Goal understands.

The 19-year-old attacker is expected to join the Spanish side ahead of the 2021-22 campaign after agreeing a five-year contract.

La Liga leaders Atletico have been in talks with his agent, Lucas Mineiro, for weeks and the representative is currently in the Spanish capital to wrap up an agreement.

Marcos Paulo, who has has featured 25 times this season and scored three goals, is free to negotiate with other teams over pre-contract agreements as his contract with the Brazilian side expires at the end of the season.

However, he does not want to leave the club that gave him his breakthrough in 2019 after he progressed through the youth system. 

Atletico expect to finalise a deal this month before letting him finish the campaign at Fluminense before he reports for pre-season preparation in Spain.

The Portugal Under-19 international has been linked with a move to Inter recently and Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt said last week that Torino and a team in France approached him, too.

Bittencourt explained to reporters: “We made a proposal [last June], the staff and the player understood that it was better to wait for an offer from elsewhere.

“The player had contact with a club in France and his agents informed that a proposal with an interesting value would arrive, but it didn't.

“We reinforced the idea of renewing, we made a significant proposal with the increase we could. The player asked us to wait.

“When it got to the end of October, a proposal came from Torino. It was the only official proposal Fluminense received since I became president. It was a loan with a purchase obligation.

“We opened negotiations and the athlete did not respond to us about renewal because he wanted to go.

“Fluminense's counterproposal was for instalment payments only. Torino didn't answer us because they found another player in Europe.”

He continued: “We made another renewal proposal in December because we liked him and wanted him to stay for another two or three years.

“The athlete was to give us an answer and this counter has not yet come, he said he wants to wait for the end of the window to receive a proposal from Europe or from another club.

“He has no interest in staying in a Brazilian club. I talked to his agents yesterday and they said they are in Europe to look. I give credit to these people. We hope to make a good deal for us.”

Marcos Paulo has made 64 senior appearances for Fluminense overall, scoring 11 times.