Everything you need to know about Malcom

Who is he, how has he got this far and what do others think of him? Introducing new Barcelona signing Malcom.

Name: Malcom
Club: Barcelona
Position: forward
Nationality: Brazilian
Age: 21 (born 26 February 1997)
Preferred foot: left
Height: 171cm

They say ...

"When Malcom is good, the team are good. He's serious, he's very good technically and he can read the game very well. He's still young, he lacks experience and that's why he's still a bit inconsistent. But he's got an incredible amount of talent."
Jocelyn Gourvennec, former Bordeaux coach

Malcom in action for Bordeaux©AFP/Getty Images

"Malcom is at the top of his game, he's one of the best in Ligue 1 at the moment. We follow him because he has quality. I know that very well because I coached him for two years, I saw how he developed his finishing. Who knows, he might be called up to the national team soon. He's young but he has some experience so he's on our tracking list."
Tite, the current Brazil coach who also trained Malcom at Corinthians

"Because he's comfortable with the ball at his feet, he always plays with his head up. This posture – which is quite impressive – helps him read the game very well, know where his team-mates are and get the ball into ideal positions."
Elie Baup, former Bordeaux coach

Story so far ...

Given his professional debut by Corinthians coach Mano Menezes soon after turning 17, Malcom soon established himself as a first-team regular for his boyhood club. He won the Brazilian league in 2015 before leaving for Bordeaux in January 2016. A tricky attacking player blessed with a rocket of a left foot, Malcom went on to score 20 Ligue 1 goals for Bordeaux in two and a half seasons as both a left-winger and support striker.

Like other Brazilians before him such as Ronaldinho, Kaká, Robinho and Neymar, Malcom started off playing futsal. "He has always had the ability to naturally carry the ball, but futsal helped him dribble in small spaces," says former Corinthians Under-20 coach Osmar Loos.

Call him ...

Malcom took his chance to pose alongside Neymar©Getty Images

His hero is fellow countryman Neymar, who arrived at Paris last summer. This fondness landed Malcom in hot water following Bordeaux's 6-2 defeat by Paris in September 2017. Malcom took a selfie with his compatriot after the game, saying: "It's a pleasure to play against Neymar, he's been my idol for years. He was too strong, as usual."

He says ...

"At Corinthians, we already played a European style with our coach Tite. I've developed since I've been at Bordeaux. I'm always working hard to start matches because, for me, the most important thing is to play."