With a reportedly measly budget at hand to do business with this summer, Arsenal should be on the lookout for any easy wins that may come their way during this transfer window.
And in the potential availability of Barcelona winger Malcom, The Gunners could be on for a move that ticks all the boxes without causing the necessary strain on the purse strings that you may expect to follow.
A report in Spanish outlet Sport last week suggested that Malcom would be interested in a loan move away from Barcelona – and while his club would prefer a permanent switch to recover the £36.9m fee they paid Bordeaux for the Brazilian last year, it is thought the clubs interested in a transfer do not take the fancy of the winger.
However, the prospect of signing a winger without the need for a transfer fee should absolutely be of interest to Unai Emery.
In light of The Gunners’ chase of Wilfried Zaha, the alternative solution that presents itself in Malcom could be a financial godsend as Arsenal look in multiple areas to improve the team, despite just £40m or so with which to strengthen.
Financial positives aside, Malcom’s versatility on either wing could be an added bonus should he make an Emirates switch, as his presence would beef up a position recently given weight to following the introductions of Reiss Nelson and Gabriel Martinelli to the first team.
And let’s not forget the significance that new technical director Edu could play – with aspects of player recruitment falling under his remit in his new role at Arsenal, the shared connections between Sao Paulo and Corinthians may give The Gunners an advantage in any future negotiations.
But perhaps the most significant part of the deal would be Arsenal’s ability to turn towards other targets. Securing Malcom’s signature would surely end their search for attacking reinforcements having already brought in Martinelli, while supplying further solidity to the defence with the best part of £40m could be more beneficial to a team that conceded over 50 goals in the league last season.
By otherwise spending big on Zaha, Arsenal would likely be left with little to improve their defence with considering they have been unsuccessful with their opening bid – and hauling Malcom in on loan would allow them to cover more bases with less resources.
Arsenal’s current financial position means they literally cannot afford too many luxuries in this transfer window – but neither can they afford to let big opportunities like this pass them by.
