Barcelona forward Malcom is reportedly set to complete a €45 million summer exit from Camp Nou, with Zenit St Petersburg his next destination.
According to a report by Goal, Malcom is on the verge of leaving Barcelona. The Brazilian forward is set to join Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg, with the two clubs agreeing a fee worth €40 million, plus €5 million in add-ons; the player will pocket €6.5 million per year at Gazprom Arena.
Malcom had created quite a stir when he joined Barcelona from Bordeaux last summer, having made an eleventh hour decision to snub AS Roma. The decision though, has ended up haunting him, with Ernesto Valverde showing very little preference for him in the season gone by.
The 22-year-old managed to start a mere 11 games last term, with another 13 appearances coming off the bench. In these games, he had a decent return of four goals and two assists. But, the fact that he had struggled to establish himself in the Barcelona first-team setup meant that his future was uncertain heading into the summer transfer window.
The speculation surrounding his position at Camp Nou has only intensified following the arrival of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid. Griezmann’s addition to the Barcelona squad means that Valverde now has as many as six recognised attacking options at his disposal.
As a result, it has been widely expected that Malcom would be the first forward to make an exit from Camp Nou this summer. And, his Barcelona departure is now all but set to be completed, with Zenit St Petersburg on the verge of signing him in a €45 million deal.
Sergei Semak has as many as three wingers to play on the right side of his midfield quartet. But, for the opposite flank, he has just Sebastian Driussi, who is often deployed on the right as well. As a result, he has had to use Yuri Zhirkov in an advanced position. This could explain the interest in Malcom, who could be an option for either wing for Zenit.
Borussia Dortmund had also been reportedly keen on signing the 22-year-old, but have now been beaten to his signature by the Russian giants. And, even though Malcom’s Barcelona deal contained a €180 million release clause, the fact that the La Liga champions were ready to offload him meant that a lower fee has been negotiated.
The deal will see Zenit pay a base fee of €40 million, with the remaining €5 million being add-ons. The Brazilian forward will earn wages of €6.5 million per year. The report finally adds that Barcelona have added a buyback clause in the deal, thus securing Malcom’s future, if need be.
All that now remains is for the transfer to be made official as per Goal. With a €45 million move set to be completed, it will be interesting to see if Malcom can resurrect his career after a horrific year with Barcelona.
