Liverpool have surprise admiration for ex-Barcelona forward amid rumors linking him with transfer: Reports
Premier League giants Liverpool are keeping tabs on Zenit Saint Petersburg forward Malcom, according to French outlet Foot Mercato.
The Reds have made two major additions to their squad this summer, signing Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai for a combined £95 million. They have seemingly now turned their attention towards signing a defensive-minded midfielder, with Romeo Lavia said to be of interest.
Liverpool are also said to be in the market for a center-back this summer, with Joel Matip entering the final year of his contract and Joe Gomez struggling for form. They have been linked with several defenders, including Chelsea's Levi Colwill and Sporting CP's Goncalo Inacio.
Malcom, meanwhile, has emerged as a shock target for Liverpool. The Premier League giants have admiration for the Zenit forward, according to the aforementioned source. The Anfield outfit's interest in him comes as a surprise as improving their attack appears to be the least of their worries, with options aplenty in that department.
It's worth noting that Malcom was offered to Paris Saint-Germain in Germany. The former Barcelona forward emerged as an option to replace Pablo Sarabia, who joined Wolverhampton Wanderers, at the Parc des Princes. However, nothing eventually came of it.
Having been disappointed by the transfer not materializing in the winter, Malcom still dreams of joining PSG, as per the report. The left-footed winger hopes Les Parisiens will revive their interest in him this summer. The French giants, for their part, are in the market for forwards, with Manchester City's Bernardo Silva said to be a top target.
Zenit are under no pressure to sell Malcom as he is contracted to them until the end of the 2026-27 season. The Brazil international is, nevertheless, likely to leave the Russian giants if the report is to be believed. Apart from the two aforementioned European giants, the Saudi Pro League has also been mooted as an option for him.
Liverpool-linked Malcom previously played for Barcelona
Malcom, 26, has been on Zenit's books since 2019. He notably had an impressive 2022-23 season in Russia, bagging 23 goals and nine assists in 27 Premier Liga appearances. The forward has also helped the club win eight trophies, including four league titles.
The Brazilian plied his trade for La Liga giants Barcelona before joining Zenit. The Blaugrana shelled out £35 million to sign him from French club Girondins Bordeaux in 2018. However, the transfer didn't go to plan as he was restricted to just 11 starts across competitions in the 2018-19 season before joining Zenit.
It appears that Malcom, who has two caps for the Brazil national team, is now keen to move to one of Europe's top leagues. A return to France with PSG is said to be enticing for the winger. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Liverpool intend to step up their interest in him.