Barcelona Transfer News: Deal agreed for the transfer of Malcom to Zenit St. Petersburg

What's the story?

Various reports in Europe suggest that Barcelona have struck an agreement with Russian club Zenit St. Petersberg for the transfer of Brazilian winger Malcom.

In case you didn't know...

Last summer, Barcelona hijacked a deal for Malcom to join Roma to sign the young winger for £41 million from Bordeaux. With the arrival of Antoine Griezmann in this transfer window, the club was intent on selling a few players to recover some part of the funds invested in the Frenchman.

Malcom is the first prominent casualty as a result of this decision.

The heart of the matter

Barcelona has reportedly struck an agreement with Zenit for the transfer of Malcom. The fee is said to around £45 million (inclusive of £5 million in bonuses) and the player will sign a five-year contract with the Russian giants. Malcom is expected to fly out soon to complete his medical examination at his next club.

🚨 Info @RMCsport Accord trouvé ce midi entre le #Barca et le #Zenit pour #Malcom ! 40M€ plus 5M€ de bonus ! Le joueur est attendu dans la semaine pour passer la visite médicale et pour s’engager 5 ans avec le club russe.

— Mohamed Bouhafsi (@mohamedbouhafsi) July 31, 2019

Having arrived for a hefty amount last season, 22-year-old Malcom was unable to live up to his expectations at the club. With other wingers such as Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho ahead of him in the pecking order, the Brazilian also struggled from the lack of game time. He managed to represent Barcelona in 24 games across all competitions and managed to contribute with just 4 goals.

With the arrival of Antoine Griezmann, Malcom's game time was expected to deteriorate and hence, there was talk of him leaving the club.

What's next?

The arrivals of Frenkie de Jong and Griezmann have strengthened Barcelona's squad for the upcoming season. However, the club will be looking to sell a few more players this summer to balance the financial books.