Everton are in pole position to sign Real Madrid full-back Marcelo, as revealed by The Mirror.

What's the latest transfer news involving Marcelo?

It is understood that the Brazilian left-back is not going to be a part of Carlo Ancelotti's plans next season at the Spanish giants, and his agents have already started looking for the 33-year-old's next club.

Marcelo would reportedly prefer a move to England or Italy, and he has attracted the attention of Everton and Leeds. It has been claimed that the Toffees are currently leading the race for his signature.

How much would Marcelo cost and when does his contract expire?

Transfermarkt value Marcelo at just £6.5m, and, according to The Mirror, he could be available this summer for even cheaper than that at just £5m.

The experienced defender only has one year left on his contract at Real, so it seems that Los Blancos are considering cashing in on him in the coming months rather than losing him for free in 2022.

What is Marcelo's pedigree?

Marcelo's achievements speak for themselves.

In his 14 years at Real, he has won a staggering five league titles, four Champions League trophies, four Club World Cups and two Spanish Cups. 

He has made 528 appearances during his time in the Spanish capital, registering 101 assists, and has also been capped 58 times by his country. 

These numbers highlight how he has been one of the best left-backs in world football for more than a decade.

Would signing Marcelo be a transfer gaffe by Everton?

Having just listed all of Marcelo's accomplishments over the years, it seems crazy to suggest that he would not be a good signing for the Merseyside club. However, this does have all the makings of a transfer gaffe on Everton's part for multiple reasons.

Firstly, Marcelo has only featured in 31 of Real's 76 league matches in the last two seasons due to a combination of injury problems and falling down the pecking order. This indicates that he would not be at his freshest if he arrived at Goodison Park, and at 33, it appears unlikely that his fitness will improve much in the twilight years of his career.

Furthermore, Everton already have a fine left-back in their ranks in Lucas Digne. The Frenchman provided more assists (7) than any of his teammates this term in the Premier League, and was the team's third-highest ranked player by WhoScored, who gave him an average match rating of 7.08. With this in mind, bringing in Marcelo seems unnecessary.

It makes sense that Everton might consider signing Marcelo given what he has done in the game but at this stage of his career it is not clear as to what exactly he has left to offer, so they would be better served going after players for other positions who can undoubtedly improve the team next year.