When Gabriel Barbosa and Malcom moved from their native Brazil to Europe last year, few would have thought that Malcom would more quickly make a name for himself on the old continent.
Gabriel had already been capped four times and scored twice for the full national team and won Olympic Gold with the Under-23s before Inter Milan paid over €30 million for him last summer. Six months earlier, Malcom had moved to Bordeaux for a far more modest fee of €5 million.
But as 2017 draws to a close, it is Malcom who is earning the plaudits and attracting interest from big clubs following a series of impressive displays. Gabriel, on the other hand, seems set to return, tail between legs, to Brazil after seeing just 43 minutes of action in the league and Champions League on loan at Benfica.
Theirs is an interesting comparison. Both are left-footed forwards who do their best work cutting inside from the right. That things have worked out for one and not the other could be attributed to circumstance or mentality or perhaps even simply that the attributes that are decisive in domestic Brazilian football aren’t necessarily transferable to Europe.
Gabriel was the more prominent player in Brazil. He gradually established himself as Santos’ key forward - a solidly built, skilful dribbler and accurate shooter. But as his responsibility grew, so he became more individualistic.
It was always going to be difficult to him to adjust to a more team-based role in Europe, and Inter Milan has not traditionally been a club that provides much patience or support. He struggled to adjust to the training rhythms and found his opportunities severely limited. As the Gazzetta della Sport quipped towards the end of last season, the player dubbed ‘Gabigol’ in Brazil had become ‘Gabighost’ at the San Siro.
This season’s loan to Benfica was supposed to be a fresh start, but the stories that previously surfaced at Inter have again emerged in Portugal. He is said to be slack in training and lacking in tactical intelligence. Those could just be masks sent out by inside sources, but it nevertheless says something that three different coaches at Inter and now Rui Vitoria at Benfica have all marginalised him. He will again be on the move in January.
Malcom, meanwhile, has steadily developed his game over in south-west France. In less high-profile surroundings, he has been given time to find his feet and slowly assume greater importance. Seven goals and four assists so far this season have seen him already match his totals from the previous campaign in less than half as many matches.
Sharp in his link play, swift and slinky on the dribble and a sweet striker of the ball, it is unsurprising that the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United are being linked. He is a player whose skills seem tailor-made for the modern European game.
The 20-year-old also takes control when necessary, not in an individualistic manner but by drifting infield and directing the flow of attacks. His late equaliser in the 3-3 draw at Lyon in August was a spectacular long-range effort, but came after he had opened up space in combination with a teammate. His consistent prodding and probing finally bore fruit.
It remains an outside shot but there is still potentially one attacking berth in Brazil’s squad for next year’s World Cup up for grabs. Last summer, Gabriel would have seemed much the more likely to take it; now, a matured Malcom looks by far the better bet.
