Tottenham reportedly face a AS Roma hijack of their pursuit of Barcelona winger Malcom, who could be set to depart from Camp Nou this month.
According to a report by The Sun, Tottenham’s plans of securing the services of Malcom in the ongoing transfer window could be scuppered. AS Roma have reignited their interest in the Brazilian winger, who has been struggling to adapt at Barcelona and could leave the club this month.
Malcom created quite a stir when he snubbed AS Roma to join Barcelona last summer. But, the move has not quite gone as per plan for both the club and the player, with injuries and a struggle to settle in meaning he has started just four times so far.
The Brazilian winger seems to have reached his lowest ebb yet at Camp Nou, with Ernesto Valverde excluding him from the matchday squad to face Levante in the Copa del Rey, wherein he has started every game for Barcelona this season. And, Tottenham are hoping to pounce on the opportunity.
Mauricio Pochettino is seemingly quite well stocked in the attacking department, with the quartet of Son Heung-min, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane backed ably by Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela. But, a closer look suggests why Tottenham are hoping to sign Malcom on a loan deal for the rest of the season.
Kane is set to miss several weeks of action after picking up an ankle injury against Manchester United last weekend, while Son is on international duty at the AFC Asian Cup. Lucas Moura is recovering from an injury as well, and it explains why Tottenham have turned towards the Barcelona struggler in order to bolster their squad temporarily.
But, Spurs now face stiff competition from AS Roma in pursuit of Malcom, with the Giallorossi back in pursuit, and quite surprisingly so, considering the player had snubbed them last summer. Roma’s interest though, could possibly be stemming from the fact that Cengiz Under is being heavily linked with a move away from Stadio Olimpico.
Roma, like Tottenham, only want to swoop Malcom on a loan deal, even though Barcelona are open to selling the player this month. But, if a permanent transfer cannot be agreed upon, the Blaugrana could simply insert an option to buy the 21-year-old in the summer.
For now, AS Roma are hoping to beat Tottenham to the player’s signature, having already opened talks with Barcelona over a temporary deal. It now remains to be seen if Spurs can do anything to take the lead in the race to sign Malcom, or if he ends up belatedly joining the Serie A outfit instead.
