Real Madrid have reportedly discussed with Juventus the possibility of the two clubs swapping their left-backs, Marcelo and Alex Sandro. 

According to Tuttosport (h/t Calciomercato.com), Los Blancos would be ready to let Marcelo go if they got his compatriot in return.

Calciomercato noted there has been speculation surrounding Marcelo for a while, with some reports saying he wants to be reunited with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus. Meanwhile, Sandro is said to have reached an impasse with Juve in regard to discussions over a new contract.

If the pair were to be involved in a straight swap the most significant possible stumbling block would be Marcelo's €10 million (£9 million) salary, according to Calciomercato.

Tuttosport reported that Sandro is seeking a €5 million (£4.5 million) salary before agreeing to a new deal with the Italian champions (h/t Football Italia).

Football writer Arjun Pradeep relayed how the story was covered in the Italian newspaper:

Although swap deals are rare in the modern game, it would be intriguing to see how each player would fare at his new club if the transfer went ahead. After all, both Marcelo and Sandro are among the best full-backs in the world.

Losing Marcelo would perhaps be a bigger blow to Madrid than losing Sandro would be to Juventus. The former has helped the team win the past three UEFA Champions League tournaments and four of the past five overall.

While a full-back's primary duty is to defend, Marcelo's game is centred around being a threat going forward.

Even in what has been a challenging campaign for the European champions, the Brazil international has continued to be a threat:

Spanish football journalist Colin Millar commented on the leadership Marcelo has shown this season too:

Sandro isn't as flamboyant in his play, but he's still an elite full-back. When he does venture forward, he can get dangerous crosses into the box and is arguably a little more switched on to his defensive duties than his fellow Brazilian.

Overall, it would be a shock if Madrid moved forward with any deal of this nature. They club is in disarray after a wretched beginning to the season, culminating in Julen Lopetegui's sacking as manager on Monday.

Regardless of the enormous impact Marcelo still has on the field, Madrid are in desperate need of big personalities around the Santiago Bernabeu. In the dressing room and in the starting XI, there aren't many characters more influential than their left-back.