Tottenham are willing to bet big on Barcelona reject
Malcom has endured a nightmare spell at Barcelona, but that hasn’t dampened Tottenham’s enthusiasm regarding the Brazilian winger.
Tottenham didn’t spend a single Euro in the summer, but the club seem poised to back Mauricio Pochettino in January. Ironically, Spurs’ biggest winter purchase might be a player they really wanted to sign in the summer.
A multitude of Spanish sources claim Tottenham have already registered their interest in signing Malcom with Barcelona. He’s played less than 30 minutes of football for Ernesto Valverde’s squad, but Pochettino remains confident in his evaluation of the player. Spurs are reportedly willing to pay upwards of £40 million to bring him over in January.
It’s fair to be a little bit skeptical of these reports. The idea that Tottenham are going to approach their club transfer record for a player who can’t crack Barcelona’s first team is a little unsettling.
On the other hand, Pochettino clearly wanted Malcom this summer. He’s a manager who is extremely confident in his ability to evaluate players. It’s entirely possible that Pochettino believes he can succeed where Valverde has failed. He wouldn’t be the first gaffer to have that kind of self belief.
The more interesting question is what role Malcom can actually play for Spurs. He’s a natural winger and that’s a position Pochettino has only recently begun to feature on a regular basis. The presence of players like Lucas Moura, Erik Lamela and Heung-Min Son do make it seem like Tottenham are well-stocked out wide.
It’s very likely this is a signal that Pochettino believes his squad must expand. Son, in particular, looks like a player in desperate need of rest. The club might also try to slot the Korean in as Harry Kane’s backup for the foreseeable future. The English centre forward can’t start every match this season.
The other logical explanation is that Pochettino genuinely believes Malcom has star potential. There were prominent rumours circulating this summer claiming he told the Brazilian’s entourage he could make him one of Europe’s best attacking players. If Pochettino believes that, the current talent on his squad won’t prevent him from making a swoop.
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Ultimately, the proof will be in the pudding once January arrives. If Tottenham are going to sign Malcom, they’ll need to complete a deal early in the window. If they let him twist in the wind, another club is going to swoop in and end his Barcelona nightmare.