The natural successor to Roberto Carlos at Real Madrid, Marcelo's pace and ability on the ball (and the fact he is Brazilian) has seen his stock rise.

First caught on the radar in 2006, the Fluminense star was given his national team debut and did enough in the space of a few performances to convince Real Madrid to sign him. While he did not enjoy the best of times under Juande Ramos, he slowly made his name as a decent squad player and started 34 games in 2009-10.

Strengths: Versatile and can play as either a defender or attacker, he also boasts excellent pace and stamina.

Weaknesses: His positional sense is not the best and he lacks the physical power for a defender.

Career high: Burst onto the scene for Brazil against Wales and earned himself a move to Real Madrid in 2007.

Career low: Life under new manager Juande Ramos was not pleasant as he found himself relegated to the bench.

Style: Fast, tricky, industrious, a great wide player.

Quotes: "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. We're very happy because he's a pearl that half of Europe wanted.'' Ramon Calderon in 2007.

Trivia: He scored on his international debut against Wales with a thunderous shot from outside the box.