A rocky six months for Malcom began with the Brazilian agreeing to join Roma, switching to Barcelona, being exiled and now potentially joining Tottenham
Malcom was very close to joining Serie A side, Roma, last summer and he quite honestly should have. But a last-minute contact from Barcelona meant that the Brazil international would change his mind and join the wrong team. A few months later, it seems like a January move would be in the youngster’s best interest, with Tottenham reportedly leading the chase to sign a loan deal.
Malcom has been one of the most promising names in Brazilian football since 2015, when he helped Corinthians win the league title, under the guidance of current Seleção boss Tite. His bright performances eventually secured him a move to Bordeaux, where he continued to shine, cementing himself as one of the most famous faces in France.
Joining Barcelona has been a big setback for Malcom, who has barely played 97 minutes of La Liga football this season. Spanish reports had already confirmed that the 21-year-old was never part of Ernesto Valverde’s plans, as the Barça boss was against his arrival in the first place. To make things worse, Valverde would reportedly not hesitate in trading Malcom for Chelsea’s Willian. And he is probably the only one on planet earth who thinks so.
Malcom’s problems since joining the Catalans have been many, from injuries to limited game time, to being kept out of the whole squad on match days. It is definitely a lesson that youngsters need to prioritize game-time over joining the club that pays them more, or the club who is bigger on paper.
Gabigol and Lucas Moura have both committed the same mistakes, but their career has drastically improved since then, thanks to better decisions they have taken. Talking about Lucas, Tottenham is one of the main clubs reportedly interested in landing Malcom. With Harry Kane getting injured and ruled out of action for at least two months, and with Son with South Korea in Asian Cup action, Mauricio Pochettino’s team is definitely short on depth. Moura could be an alternative for Kane as a false 9, but that would leave the competition open for the wide roles. Here is where Malcom could be come useful.
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The English Premier League has been an ideal place for Brazilians in the past few seasons, and especially the wingers. Willian, for all the criticism he rightly gets, has been an important asset, helping Chelsea land two league titles, while Felipe Anderson, Lucas Moura and Richarlison are absolutely having the season of their lives. Even Bernard, is finding his feet at Everton. Has there ever been a more ideal time for a young Brazilian attacker to make the move to England?
It doesn’t seem like Malcom’s club situation will improve any time soon for the Catalan giants, which means that a January move would come handy in helping him boost his career and increase his chances for the Seleção ahead of the Copa América. Sometimes, it is not about being on the bigger team that matters most. But rather, the player’s role and importance.
