Barcelona flop Malcom set to complete €45m Zenit move as Fiorentina step up Rafinha interest

Zenit St Petersburg are set to announce the signing of Barcelona winger Malcom, after the two clubs agreed a fee believed to be in the region of €40 million (£36.5m/$44.5m), plus €5 million (£4.6m/$5.6m) in add-ons.

The La Liga champions fought off strong competition from Roma to sign the former Bordeaux star for €41 million just over a year ago.

But having made just 24 appearances in all competitions for Ernesto Valverde’s side last season, the Brazilian is already on his way out of Camp Nou.

Malcom will earn around €6.5 million per season in Russia, whilst it is also understood that Barcelona will not have a buyback option on the deal, which is expected to be made official on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old has a €180m release clause in his contract, but Barcelona have made clear that they would be happy to sell the winger should anyone offer more than the €41m fee spent on him last summer.

The winger has fallen further down the pecking order at Camp Nou, with Barcelona adding Antoine Griezmann to what is already a heavily stacked group of attacking options earlier this summer.

As well as Griezmann, the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho are all vying for starting spots, whilst PSG star Neymar continues to be linked with a return to his former club.

Borussia Dortmund were also linked with a move for Malcom, but it is Zenit that have won the race to secure his services.

Meanwhile, Rafinha Alcantara continues to attract interest from sides across Europe and could also be on his way out of Barcelona in the near future.

Serie A side Fiorentina are ready to push ahead with negotiations for the midfielder, who is about to enter the final year of his contract with the Catalan giants.

It is thought that a fee of around €15 (£14m/€17m) million could be enough to prize him away from Barcelona, with Valencia also retaining a strong interest.

Coach Marcelino García Toral views Rafinha as the ideal man to support the likes of Dani Parejo in the Valencia midfield. Milan and Atalanta have also made enquiries into the availability of the Brazilian, but are yet to formalise their interest with an offer.