Arsenal and Tottenham’s £40m target Malcom will leave Bordeaux “sooner or later”

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in their reported pursuits of Brazil Under-23 international winger Malcom, according to the Mirror.

The Premier League rivals, who sit sixth and fifth in the English top-flight standings respectively, have both been heavily linked with signing the highly-rated Bordeaux winger this summer.

The 20-year-old, who has featured twice for Brazil’s Under-23 side, has scored eight goals and provided seven assists in 28 appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 outfit so far this season.

Malcom, who joined the French outfit back in January 2016 following his move from Corinthians, has netted 19 goals in 86 games overall for the club.

However, after insisting the forward was not for sale during the January transfer window, Bordeaux manager Gus Poyet has now admitted that the Samba star will leave “sooner or later”, opening the door for a potential move to the Premier League this summer.

Bordeaux’s Malcom

He said, “He’s a special player who can win matches on his own. He is often double-marked because his talent is that special.

“In January we were nervous because we almost lost him to the Premier League.

“We must prepare for this because sooner or later he will leave.”

Malcom is contracted at Bordeaux until June 2021, and is valued at around £40m.