Transfer News: Bayern Munich join Arsenal and Tottenham in Malcom pursuit

Bayern Munich have reportedly joined the race to sign Malcom, who is also a summer target for Premier League rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

As reported by London Evening Standard, Bayern Munich manager Jupp Heynckes has confirmed the Bavarian club’s interest in Malcom in an interview with German publication Sport Bild. The Brazilian winger will leave Bordeaux at the end of the season, and is also the subject of interest from Arsenal and Tottenham.

Malcom’s reputation has only burgeoned since he left his boyhood club Corinthians to join Bordeaux in January, 2016. Over the last two years, the player has established himself as a pivotal figure for the Ligue 1 outfit.

And even though Les Girondins haven’t been anywhere near the European spots this season, Malcom has been a shining light, with 8 goals and 6 assists in 25 league outings. But, his stint at Bordeaux will come to an end in the summer, with the Brazilian himself signalling his intention to depart from the club.

With the player a highly exciting prospect, there is no shortage of interest in him, with Premier League rivals Arsenal and Tottenham monitoring his progress for a long time. The duo also attempted to sign him in the January transfer window, and are likely to launch the offensive for him in the summer as well.

At Arsenal, a summer rebuild is on the cards, with the club going through its most tumultuous time under Arsene Wenger. While the Gunners do have Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil as the creative options in attack, there is no one who consistently provides a pacy outlet on the wings, making Malcom a viable target.

Tottenham, on the other hand, signed Lucas Moura in January to give Mauricio Pochettino a wealth of options in attack. But, as they have found out in the last couple of seasons, Spurs lack quality in depth to steer clear of injury crisis when the fixtures start piling up, especially with Erik Lamela not managing to impress much.

The possible arrival of Malcom though, could help dissolve those issues to a great extent. But, Arsenal and Tottenham now face even more competition in pursuit of the 21-year-old, with Bayern Munich also interested. Manager Jupp Heynckes confirmed the club’s interest in him in an interview with Sport Bild.

“He’s certainly in the focus of our scouting department, like many other players as well. [Sporting director] Hasan Salihamidzic has very clear ideas and is driving forward the plans for next season. He knows exactly who is in our sights and which players he would like to have. He has high quality players in mind.”

The interest from the Bundesliga champions does make sense, with Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben in the twilight of their careers. Malcom’s arrival could help Bayern smoothly execute the duo’s succession plan, with the Brazilian and Kingsley Coman potentially continuing from where the veterans leave off for the longer term.

The arrival of Bayern into the picture could certainly complicate Arsenal and Tottenham’s pursuit of the player, with the German outfit offering better trophy winning calibre. With Champions League football also likely to be a factor, Arsenal could fall behind should they fail to win the Europa League to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition, with a top four finish unlikely.

It now remains to be seen where Malcom heads off to in the summer, with Arsenal, Tottenham and Bayern Munich in a three-horse race. What remains certain is that his Bordeaux spell is running on its last legs.