Why Malcolm Will Be A Big Hit At Barcelona

The youngster was introduced slowly to life in Ligue 1. WIth Bordeaux struggling throughout the 2015-16 season, Malcolm was given a dozen games to make his mark on the French championship, smashing the bar with a fine strike in his debut match and scoring one goal during the second half of the season.

One summer later, he underwent a metamorphosis from a precocious young talent taking his first timid steps into European football to a confident, composed winger who quickly became a key part of a much-improved Bordeaux side.

Fans were startled at how quickly Malcolm had seemingly grown in confidence, with the young winger quickly becoming one of the team's biggest threats. His searing pace, tricky dribbles, and ferocious thunderbolt strikes started to strike fear in defenders up and down the country.

At just 19 years of age, Malcolm established himself as an undisputed starter with the French side, appearing in 45 of Bordeaux's 46 games in the 2016-17 season and contributing with 9 goals and 7 assists. His confidence levels were through the roof as he helped Bordeaux get back into European competition with a 6th place finish in Ligue 1.

In the first six games of the following season, he created six goals, with a particularly dominant performance against Lyon in which he netted a brace and scored a phenomenal last-minute winner, cutting inside confidently from the right side and smashing a shot into the back of the net.

One thing about Malcolm is that even when he seems to have reached his best level, he always seems capable of shifting into a higher gear and surpassing his own high standards. In November of last year, for example, he scored a blinding left-footed strike against Saint-Etienne, winning the award for best goal of the month.

In his very next match, he scored a similar but even better strike against Dijon, earning another "Goal of the Month" award.

In fact, that goal against Dijon was eventually voted as the best goal of the entire Ligue 1 season. Malcolm ended the season with 12 league strikes and 7 assists. His numbers just keep getting better and better and that's a testament to what sort of player he is.

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