Malcom had quite the transfer saga in the summer as he looked to secure a move away from Bordeaux.

The 21-year-old Brazilian was very highly regarded after shining in Ligue 1, leading to several clubs chasing his signature.

Top of that list, however, was AS Roma, who agreed a fee with Bordeaux, agreed terms with Malcom, and booked the flight to get him to Rome and complete the deal.

Just days later he was a Barcelona player.

The Spanish champions had decided, at the very last minute, that Malcom was a viable alternative to Chelsea's Willian, a player who was proving too difficult to sign.

And so, with the plane booked and everything set up, both Bordeaux and Malcom went back on the deal with Roma and completed one with Barca instead.

If there was any doubt that Barcelona had made a last-minute, almost desperate decision to sign Malcom, you only need to look at his season so far.

The Brazilian has played 25 minutes for Barca, making you wonder why on earth they felt the need to spend €41m to sign him.

But according to Catalan outlet Sport, that money might end up being a very shrewd investment after all.

Three clubs are reportedly interested in signing Malcom in January: Internazionale, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur.

And Spurs, in particular, are willing to spend what it takes to beat their great rivals to Malcom - with a €50m offer.

That would mean Barca could actually make a quick profit on the player, somehow seeing a €9m rise in his value from just 25 minutes of football.

But it isn't as though Spurs have come out of nowhere with their interest - they were heavily linked with a move for Malcom in January 2018, much like Arsenal.

And, of course, Spurs should have money to burn after a summer window that saw them spend precisely nothing.

If they're happy to pay the money, Barca could quickly see their Malcom deal go from a piece of inexplicable business to a very shrewd one.