Arsenal try to steal march on rivals for £45m winger Malcom 
Arsenal’s representatives plan to meet the agent of Malcom today in an effort to steal a march on the winger’s signature, which could pave the way for Alexis Sánchez to leave. The 20-year-old, who has also been monitored by Tottenham Hotspur, is one of Europe’s hot prospects on the back of his seven goals and four assists in 18 league games for Bordeaux this season.
The French club value him at £45 million and he has been learning English, suggesting that he might move to the Premier League. He began his career at Corinthians, where he never had a great scoring record in a side that included Jádson and Vágner Love, and has played for the Brazil under-20 and under-23 sides.
He moved for around £4 million to the French club two years ago. He scored seven league goals last season but has shone since Bordeaux tinkered their formation to allow him greater freedom to come in off the wing. Historically that is the type of wide player that Arsène Wenger has often likes to sign going back to Robert Pires and Fredrik Ljungberg. Wenger does not traditionally sign players in January but he needs to find a replacement in order to sell Sánchez, who has become a pain in the backside for many at the club. Arsenal have valued Sánchez at nearly £40 million a renewed effort from Manchester City to sign him, and failed to get a deal for Thomas Lemar over the line in the summer.
The City squad are expecting Sánchez to join before the window closes if Kevin De Bruyne’s comments on the Chilean are anything to go by.
“He is a very good player,” the City playmaker said of Sánchez after last night’s 2-1 win over Bristol City in the Carabao Cup.
“Obviously we will see what happens in this transfer period. If a good player comes to us that is better, if he doesn’t come, we do it with the team we have. We are on a good period already, the whole season. Everybody is doing a good job. When he comes he will add something to the team.”
City representatives met with their West Bromwich Albion counterparts yesterday to discuss a deal for Jonny Evans, the Northern Ireland centre back. City hope to add the 30-year-old to their squad this month as cover for first-choice pairing Nicolás Otamendi and John Stones.
Albion are hoping to get £25 million for Evans. Arsenal are also serious contenders for Evans’ signature and it has emerged recently that Manchester United have asked West Brom to keep them updated on the centre-back’s situation.
United sold Evans to West Brom for £6 million in August 2015. The Northern Irishman made 198 appearances and won nine trophies with United, including three Premier League titles.
Everton and West Ham United are also monitoring developments on Evans, who has 18 months left on his deal at the Hawthorns.
City hope to sign two centre backs over the course of the next six months. They are expected to revive their interest in Iñigo Martínez, the Real Sociedad defender in the summer. The 26-year-old has a £28 million release clause in his contract.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/arsenal-try-to-steal-march-on-rivals-for-45m-winger-malcom-f5tdgktpf
