Arsenal and Spurs target Malcom will move 'sooner or later', admits Bordeaux boss Gus Poyet

Bordeaux manager Gus Poyet has conceded that Malcom will leave “sooner or later” as Arsenal and Tottenham track the in-demand forward.

The French side managed to hold on to their prized asset in January despite interest from the north London rivals, with Poyet refusing to take over at Les Girondins without a commitment that Malcom would stay until the end of the season.

However Bordeaux’s prospects of keeping the 20-year-old beyond the end of the season look faint, with Malcom having confirmed last week that he and the club had agreed he would be allowed to leave.

“He is a special player who can win matches on his own,” Poyet told MARCA.

“He is often double-marked because his talent is that special, and 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.”

Though Arsenal and Tottenham tracked Malcom last month both sides opted to bring in different players who could fulfil the same role as the Brazilian.

The Gunners brought in Henrikh Mkhitaryan amid doubts over whether Malcom had the requisite experience to serve as their replacement for Alexis Sanchez whilst Spurs would ultimately opt for Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Moura.