According to Marca, Everton have rekindled their interest in Barcelona winger Malcom, having failed to sign him in the summer.
It is believed that the Brazilian could depart Camp Nou this January in search of regular playing time, giving Everton the opportunity to pursue him.
Although reports from Spain suggest that Malcom, could, in fact, end up staying at Barcelona till the end of the season, a move could be on the horizon, should Everton table a lucrative offer.
But, is he really the type of player Marco Silva needs?
Malcom: Player profile
Malcom is a pacy winger, who made his breakthrough last season by scoring 12 goals in 35 matches for Bordeaux – a performance that earned him a €41 million to Barcelona in the summer. However, the 21-year-old has featured in just five games since then, only one of which was a start.
Having said that, the Brazilian is still a quality player, who, aside from his raw pace, is blessed with good technical prowess that allows him to link up with teammates in the final third.
Despite being classified as a winger, Malcom loves to cut-inside and operate centrally, which, in turn, helps him become more influential in the attack, especially when it comes to creating chances or threading a reverse pass.
The 21-year-old averaged a stunning tally of 2.5 key passes per game last season – more than anyone else in the team.
Why Malcom would be a brilliant addition
Everton have a lot of attacking options at their disposal right now. However, the likes of Cenk Tosun and Omar Niasse have struggled while Theo Walcott has been terribly inconsistent, thus accentuating the need for another attacker.
Malcom, in that regard, could be an excellent choice. The 21-year-old has the pace as well as the technical quality, which should enable him to thrive under Silva’s tactical philosophy.
In addition, his ability to create chances from the middle will add more fuel to Everton’s creative junctures, although they already boast the services of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Bernard.
Malcom could be available on a six-month loan deal and considering Ernesto Valverde’s lack of interest in retaining his services next season, the Toffees should definitely move for the talented attacker.
Silva’s side are expected to have a better second half of the season after the transition phase in the first half, and Malcom’s addition would make them more serious challengers for a Europa League spot.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored