Gus Poyet claims £44m Pochettino target Malcom is staying at Bordeaux – but Spurs may have a workaround

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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen on Bordeaux star Malcom.

New Bordeaux manager Gus Poyet has told the Daily Mail that he has been reassured star man Malcom will be staying with the club this month.

Malcom, 20, signed for Bordeaux from Corinthians in January 2016, and has developed into one of the top young stars in French football after a stunning campaign.

The Brazilian playmaker has hit seven goals and five assists in 21 Ligue 1 games this season, dazzling fans with his skill and long-range goals.

Unsurprisingly, Malcom’s form has triggered major interest in his signature, with Arsenal heavily linked before reports emerged of a potential move to North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

UOL Esporte reported on Friday that Tottenham are now in pole position to seal a £44million deal for Malcom, after his agents held talks with Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino over a possible move.

Bordeaux understandably aren’t keen to lose Malcom, and new manager Gus Poyet – formerly of Spurs both as a player and as a coach – has addressed the situation today.

Poyet has told the Daily Mail that, during talks with the club, he asked whether Malcom would be staying – and after being reassured that he will stay put, he continued talks over taking the job.

“I asked straight away if Malcom would be staying or not,” said Poyet. “They said yes. I said OK, now we can continue the discussion,” he added.

Whilst Poyet has issued something of a hands-off warning there, that doesn’t exactly rule Tottenham out. UOL’s report suggested that Spurs could loan Malcom back to Bordeaux for the rest of the season, and that may work out well for all parties.

Spurs would tie down a top talent for next season before another club can move for him, whilst Poyet would still be able to use Malcom for the rest of the campaign, meaning Pochettino and co shouldn’t end their hopes of landing Malcom just yet.