Barcelona forward Malcom has completed a €45 million move to Zenit St Petersburg, the Russian club confirmed on Friday.
Zenit St Petersburg have made an official statement to confirm that they have secured the services of Brazilian forward Malcom. The 22-year-old has joined the Russian giants from Barcelona in a €45 million deal, penning a five-year contract at the Gazprom Arena.
Malcom was regarded to be one of the best up and coming wingers in Europe during his time at Bordeaux, where two-and-a-half fruitful years. He made such a lasting impression at the French club that he was one of the most sought-after players in the transfer market last summer, before Barcelona ended up securing his services in contentious fashion.
It’s official! #DavaiMalcom pic.twitter.com/98VzpjQmhk
— FC Zenit in English? (@fczenit_en) August 2, 2019
An eleventh hour bid saw Barcelona usurp AS Roma in the race to sign the Brazilian. But, the move did not end up panning out like anyone would have foreseen. Malcom struggled to settle in at the demanding surroundings at Camp Nou, with the challenges of playing for one of the top European giants bogging him down.
The 22-year-old managed to start just 11 games across all competitions last season, with Ernesto Valverde showing very little preference for him. And, with Barcelona signing Antoine Griezmann while also pursuing a deal for Neymar, it had become clear that at least one attacker was to become an expendable for the Catalans.
Unsurprisingly, it was Malcom who was first in line to be axed from the squad. And, Zenit St Petersburg had become the favourites to swoop him away from Barcelona this week. The move has now been officially confirmed by the European giants, who sit atop the Russian Premier League after the first three gameweeks.
While Zenit have made a bright start to the season, the fact that Sergei Semak does not have a strong option for the left flank means that he needed to delve into the transfer market. As a result, Malcom had emerged as a viable target for the Russian outfit to pursue.
The 22-year-old has signed a five-year contract with Zenit, who have landed him on a €45 million deal. The terms of the deal will see the Russian Premier League leaders pay €40 million upfront to Barcelona, with the remaining €5 million amounting to variables, as per the official statement made by the Blaugrana.
The deal also entails the La Liga champions to buy Malcom back in the event that Zenit are looking to sell him. For now, a new journey awaits the Brazilian forward after a horrific year at Barcelona and it will be interesting to see if he can resurrect his career after completing a €45 million move to Zenit St Petersburg.
