According to Sport, Arsenal have joined the race to sign Barcelona sensation Malcom in the January transfer window. The Brazilian ace is keen on leaving the club in January after a slow start to his Barcelona career, managing just 25 minutes of competitive action this season.
However, Arsenal could face stiff competition from arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who are also interested in the services of the former Bordeaux starlet. We could witness yet another dramatic transfer saga for Malcom when the transfer window reopens.
Malcom: Player attributes and stats
Much like his teammate Ousmane Dembele, Malcom is advertised as an agile winger, who loves to take on defenders in the final third. His excellent close-control coupled with his speed and dynamism help him accelerate towards the opposition’s defensive channels while he also tends to cut inside, at times, to find a neat through ball.
Malcom is proficient when it comes to creating chances in the final third, as he averaged 2.5 key passes per game with Bordeaux last season.
Furthermore, he averaged an impressive tally of 2.7 successful dribbles per game, which reflects on his dribbling prowess while Malcom is also a goalscoring threat, having averaged over two shots per goal in the same season, 1.3 of which came from outside the box.
However, the presence of some of the world’s most talented attackers have stopped Malcom from making an instant impact at Barcelona this season as he has made only two appearances in the league. Therefore, a move away from Camp Nou doesn’t seem far-fetched.
Why do Arsenal need Malcom?
Malcom will be an excellent addition to Arsenal. The Brazilian sensation is blessed with immense potential, and his traits in the final third are also ideally suited to Unai Emery’s setup.
Although the Gunners already boast the services of Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang amongst many others, Mkhitaryan has struggled to become a regular this season while Aubameyang is not a typical winger. Furthermore, Ozil is more of a playmaker rather than a dynamic winger who can stretch play and provide service from the wide areas.
Malcom, in that regard, fits in perfectly, thanks to pace and dynamism in the final third coupled with his tendency to drift into central areas of the field to create chances – a style of play that would make him an upgrade on Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
That said, it is unlikely that Barcelona will be willing to let go off their prized attacker on a permanent basis barely four months after signing him for a fee of €41 million. Therefore, a season-long loan deal is the likely outcome as both the North London giants battle it out for the services of the 21-year-old attacker.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored