Arsenal are reportedly looking to make a late attempt to hijack Everton’s move for Barcelona winger Malcom as they rapidly seek an alternative to Wilfried Zaha.
Arsenal’s pursuit of Wilfried Zaha is turning fruitless as Crystal Palace are showing resilience in their stance for the Ivory Coast forward. Hence, Arsenal are actively looking at alternatives for Zaha in the transfer market. The Sun are reporting of a possible Arsenal bid for Barcelona winger Malcom, with the Gunners hoping to hijack Everton’s move for the Brazilian.
Everton have been on the trails of Malcom for some time now. The Merseysiders were hoping for a quick resolution with Barcelona for the Brazilian and manager Marco Silva would have been wanting to integrate Malcom into the squad for their pre-season games with a view to get him ready for the season opener against Crystal Palace.
Everton’s steady business with Barcelona last summer involving the transfers of Lucas Digne, Yerry Mina and Andre Gomes means both clubs share a good rapport. Everton were hoping to lure Malcom in the same way and conduct more business with the Catalans, but Arsenal might be in to wreck their plans for the Brazilian.
Arsenal’s need for a winger in the current window is no secret. The Gunners have been hot on the trails of Crystal Palace forward Zaha, although they have come no closer to meeting his valuation. Palace recently rejected Arsenal’s £40 million bid for their talisman as they want double that amount. Arsenal, with their restricted budget, will be unable to meet those requirements.
Hence Unai Emery has seemingly given up on the Zaha chase and wants to explore other options. Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser is thought to be high on the Arsenal manager’s list, but no deal is closer to a conclusion. Meanwhile, deals for Lucas Vazquez and Mariano Diaz have also been mooted, but Arsenal are not expected to sign either of the Real Madrid players.
However, they now seem to be interested in Barcelona’s Malcom. The Brazilian had been on Arsenal’s list as a replacement for Alexis Sanchez 18 months ago, but stayed put at Bordeaux before joining Barcelona last summer in a €41 million deal. But, he has sparingly featured for the Catalan side.
Arsenal, with their modest budget, will be hoping to negotiate a lower fee with Barcelona as the £31.5 million price that is reported will hit their budget hard. Everton, on the other hand, are ready to pay the price up front, which is seemingly forcing Arsenal to try and structure the payment to the Catalans.
However, with Barcelona looking to raise quick cash for the Neymar and Antoine Griezmann deals, Arsenal’s proposal might not appear as attractive as Everton’s, as per the report. But, the Gunners might have a chance to hijack Everton’s move for the he in the case that Malcom himself accepts Arsenal’s offer.
Overall, Malcom can fit in this Arsenal side and bring some much-needed flair in Emery’s team. As for Everton, they will not give up on the Brazilian quickly and will look to finalise a deal as soon as possible, so as to land their target man.
