The positive side of Malcom's transfer to Barcelona
After a month of speculations and 24 hours of high voltage drama, spanning across France, Italy, and Spain, Malcom was finally presented as a Barcelona player at the Nike World HQ in Portland, USA.
The player was linked to some of the biggest clubs in Europe. When he was given the chance to fulfill his dream of playing alongside Messi, Malcom didn't hesitate and made sure that the transfer goes through. But the transfer was controversial, to say the least.
AS Roma had announced that Malcom's deal is finalized and the player would soon join the club. Barça got involved at the 11th hour and 'hijacked' the deal. The move couldn't be deemed as illegal, because no formal deal was signed between the player and the Romans.
A natural winger, Malcom is a fast-paced player, who not only loves to take on defenders but also likes to run behind spaces and set up goals for his teammates. But Barcelona already has Dembele, don't they? The Frenchman, who is fresh off a World Cup winning campaign, had a forgetful first season at the Spanish club.
Riddled with injuries, Dembele had to wait until April to leave a positive and solid impression on the fans, after he capitalized on a couple of chances given to him and put in some strong performances. But there is still a long way to go for.
In comes Malcom, another young player, as talented as Dembele. At first, it seems like the move would kill one of the two players in a battle to get minutes on the pitch. Malco-Dembele partnership could now result in a healthy competition.
Earlier, Dembele didn't have any direct competition and his incompetence in early stages forced Valverde to change his tactics and formations. Now, with two talented right-wingers at his disposal, he could use the skills and strategy of both and put them to best use. While Dembele is more agile and tactically sound, puts in delicious crosses and loves to dribble, Malcom is a raw winger who even likes to have a crack at the goal from a long way out.