Madrid: Real Madrid have agreed a deal to sign Fluminense’s Brazil fullback Marcelo, club president Ramon Calderon said on Tuesday.

“He is an important signing for us. 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,” Calderon was quoted as saying on a Spanish sports daily’s website.

The 18-year-old international will sign a contract until 2012 and could play the rest of this season in the club’s youth team Real Madrid Castilla, who compete in the second division, to help his transition to European football.

He has passed a medical and will be officially presented on Wednesday, the club said.

Marcelo is seen as a long-term replacement for Roberto Carlos and has many similar characteristics in that he is very quick and likes to join the attack.

He scored on his international debut in Brazil’s 2-0 win over Wales at the beginning of September and becomes the sixth Brazilian in Real’s squad.

“Roberto Carlos is very happy and Marcelo is coming to replace him when he allows him to,” added Calderon.

A spokesman for Real said an agreement had been reached to extend Roberto Carlos’ contract until 2008, although it had not yet been signed. Media reports put the fee for Marcelo at between 6 and 9 million euros which would take Real’s spending on defenders since 2004 to almost 100 million euros.