Arsenal have launched a surprise loan bid for Barcelona winger Malcom, with negotiations for Denis Suarez still ongoing.
According to The Sun, the Gunners are hoping to secure the Brazilian’s signature before the current transfer window slams shut, on a temporary deal until the end of the season.
Arsenal are still in transfer talks with Barca regarding the permanent sale of Denis Suarez, but the Premier League club have also now submitted a loan offer for Malcom as Unai Emery aims to bolster his squad at the Emirates Stadium.
The Sun reports that the Spanish champions are reluctant to sell Malcom outright at this stage of the season, but they may consider a loan switch so that he can play regular football elsewhere before returning fresh next season with a potentially even higher market value.
Barca would consider a £50 million bid from potential suitors for the 21-year-old in the summer, but that valuation is only likely to be met if he can prove his worth during a consistent run of games, which are unlikely to be forthcoming at the Camp Nou under Ernesto Valverde – as per The Sun.
This means that not only do Arsenal have the opportunity to secure Malcom’s services until the end of the 2018-19 campaign, but they would also stand a good chance of signing him a permanent basis beyond that.
The Gunners could now potentially land two Barcelona superstars before the winter transfer deadline on Thursday night, which would represent a huge coup for the club.
Emery’s side are lacking quality attacking players to support strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Laczatte, while in midfield a certain creative spark has been missing in recent months.
Malcom could certainly add a new dimension to Arsenal’s starting XI and with Suarez behind him the team could quickly transform into an even more potent force going forward.
It remains to be seen whether or not Barca will be willing to let two players leave though, with Arsenal fans now facing an anxious wait over the next couple of days to see if the club can push deals through for one or both of the Camp Nou stars.
