Check out what you may have missed at the weekend, including another Messi milestone, David De Gea’s big night, Coppa Italia action and more.
Luis Suarez found the net twice and Lionel Messi scored his 400th La Liga goal, as Barcelona cruised past Eibar at the Camp Nou.
Unai Emery says Arsenal will not be making any permanent signings in January, including reports of a move for Barcelona’s Denis Suarez.
Barcelona are ready let Malcom go in January if they receive an offer which betters the €41 million they paid for the Brazilian forward last summer, sources have told ESPN FC.
Malcom, 21, was set to join Serie A side Roma from Bordeaux until Barca swooped in with an eleventh-hour bid to take him to Camp Nou. However, coach Ernesto Valverde appeared to suggest he didn’t want the player by labelling him “a signing made by the club.”
Since then, Valverde has offered Malcom very few opportunities to prove himself at Barcelona. He has made just 10 appearances in all competitions, with six of them coming as a substitute.
His last appearance came in last week’s 2-1 loss to Levante in the Copa del Rey, when he was taken off in the second half after missing a one-on-one earlier in the game.
Valverde has not picked him since and he was a surprise exclusion from Barca’s squad for Thursday’s second leg against Levante, with the Catalans needing to come from behind to reach the quarterfinals of a competition they have won in each of the last four seasons.
Even Denis Suarez — who is pushing for a move to Arsenal — has been included in the 18-man squad. Valverde is campaigning for the midfielder to stay.
However, Valverde’s reluctance to take a similar stance on Malcom means the club are willing to sell before his value starts to decrease.
Before moving to Barca, Malcom drew interest from a range of English and Italian sides, including Roma, Tottenham and Arsenal. Guangzhou Evergrande of the Chinese Super League are also mooted as potential suitors.
ESPN FC has contacted Malcom’s agents for comment. In the past, though, they have always maintained that he wants to stay put. One of his representatives, Luis Fernando Menezes, called a story linking his client with Lazio last week “fake news.”
There are no complaints from Barca about Malcom’s attitude. Despite various setbacks — he has been omitted from various match day squads and has suffered two hamstring injuries — he has never complained and has always prioritised working hard to earn his place in the side.
Malcom had been on the verge of joining Roma from Bordeaux before Barcelona swooped in with a late bid.
Things looked to have turned around when he scored against Inter Milan in the Champions League in November, but an injury sustained soon after in a cup game set him back once again.
Moving to Barca last summer was a dream come true for Malcom, but circumstances may have to force him to reconsider his next move if the La Liga leaders receive an offer which matches their asking price this month. A move to China could even happen up until the end of February.
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