Barcelona's newest signing Malcom gives his first interview after sealing a €41 million move from Bordeaux.
BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Barcelona's new signing Malcom says he pulled out of a move to Roma at the last minute to fulfil his dream of emulating Ronaldinho and Neymar's success at the Camp Nou.
Roma announced an agreement was in place with Bordeaux on Tuesday to sign Malcom only to see Barca swoop in at the 11th hour with a bigger bid.
The move provoked anger in the Italian capital, with sporting director Monchi threatening legal action and president James Pallotta refusing to accept an apology from Barca, saying they acted "unethically."
Malcom, 21, says his conscience is clear, though, and that there was only ever one option for him once the La Liga champions came in.
"I was always relaxed about the situation, my agents were in charge of it all," the Brazilian forward said as he was officially presented as a Barca player at Nike's headquarters on Thursday.
"I had the chance to sign for Barcelona and since I was a kid I have dreamed of playing for this club, alongside the best players in the world, who are here.
"When I was growing up, I liked Ronaldinho a lot and then Neymar became [my idol]. I hope to follow in the same footsteps of the Brazilians that have played for Barcelona and to have the same success here."
The Catalan club's vice president, Jordi Mestre, also played down the transfer saga, stressing that Malcom has been a target for a number of years.
"We're calm," he said about the situation with Roma. "We've followed Malcom since 2014 and the right moment arrived to make the move.
"I can understand it's gone down badly with Roma, Monchi and their president. But that's part of negotiations. The player is the one that makes the [final] decision."
Malcom
Sporting director Eric Abidal believes the signing of Malcom, who joined the club for €41 million and will have a release clause of €180m, was a no-brainer.
"The club have followed him since he was playing in Brazil," he explained. "He has since come to Europe and has adapted perfectly to the different tactics of different coaches
"He has the profile of a Barca player. He has a good left-foot, he can play on both flanks -- he played left in Brazil and on the right in Europe -- and he can also play through the middle.
"[Malcom's] a young player with a big future. Like I have always said, we're working short, medium and long-term. Malcom fits them all. I think this is the best place for him to keep growing."
Malcom's signing has cast the spotlight on Ousmane Dembele, who joined Barca for an initial €105 million from Borussia Dortmund last summer.
An injury-hit first campaign ate into his adaption time, though, and there are reports that he's considering his future following the arrival of Malcom, who plays in the same position.
"Dembele and Malcom might play in the same position, but it's a long season and there are lots of games," Abidal said.
"You have to have a strong squad to achieve your objectives. I think, in this sense, Dembele can be calm. He's an important player, as Malcom will be. You need to have the strongest squad possible."
Source: espn.co.uk