Roma have reacted to their failed pursuit of new Barcelona signing Malcom by giving him the social-media silent treatment.
The Italian club missed out on landing the 21-year-old Brazilian winger, despite agreeing a €40million fee with Bordeaux, after Barca stepped in and persuaded him to move to Camp Nou instead.
Roma will get a look at the one that got away when they meet Barcelona in the International Champions Cup at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium on Tuesday.
However, the Giallorossi have no intention of finding out if Malcom’s performance will cause any social-media buzz after muting a series of words related to the man that snubbed them for their next opponents.
Match day pic.twitter.com/VcxxnXcC1n
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) July 31, 2018
Barcelona have reached a deal to sign Bordeaux winger Malcom for £36.5m – a day after Roma said they were on the verge of signing him.
The 21-year-old Brazilian has agreed a five-year contract with Barca.
Roma announced on Monday they had reached a deal with Bordeaux subject to a medical and personal terms.
Roma sporting director Monchi said “nothing was signed” but that they are considering whether they have “a legal case” over the transfer.
He told the Roma website: “Early this morning I spoke with Malcom’s agent, Fernando Garcia, who had a meeting with Bordeaux planned at 12pm to confirm everything was in place for the player to travel to Rome in the evening.
“After that I was surprised to be told that the agents and Bordeaux wanted another improved offer, as Barcelona were still pushing for a deal. I told them enough, because we did not want to enter an auction.
“It is true that nothing was signed, but there are many messages with the agents and their president that are at least worth being assessed.”
Malcom is expected to have his medical with Spanish champions Barca on Wednesday.
Yet to be capped at senior level by Brazil, he scored 20 goals and set up 13 in 84 Ligue 1 games for Bordeaux following his 2016 move from Corinthians.
The deal is worth an initial 41m euros with another 1m euros (£900,000) in variables.
Malcom is Barca’s second Brazilian summer signing, after midfielder Arthur, 21, joined from Gremio for £35.5m.
Malcom was called up to Brazil’s under-20 team to compete in the 2015 South American Youth Football Championship, where he scored 1 goal in 6 matches as the Brazilians finished 4th.
Malcom was called as a replacement for Kenedy at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup on May 17.He participated in 5 matches, including the Final, where Brazil lost to Serbia.
Born in São Paulo, Malcom began his career in the youth of hometown club Corinthians. In early 2014, he starred in the side that came runners-up to Santos in the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior.
He was called by coach Mano Menezes into the first team and made his professional debut on 19 March 2014 in a Copa do Brasil first round game away to Bahia de Feira, playing the last ten minutes of the 2–0 win in place of Jádson. Four days later he made his sole appearance of the Campeonato Paulista season, coming on around the same mark for Luciano in a 3–0 home win over Atlético Sorocaba.