Arsenal and Chelsea enter race to sign Bordeaux forward Malcom amid Manchester United interest

Arsenal and Chelsea have reportedly entered the race to sign Bordeaux forward Malcom, who has also been courting strong interest from Manchester United after enjoying a thoroughly productive start to the new campaign.

Malcom is viewed as one of Ligue 1's brightest young prospects after starting the season in blistering form for Bordeaux, scoring five goals and providing four assists in 12 league starts for Jocelyn Gourvennec's side.

The 20-year-old's impressive start to the new campaign combined with the promise he showed in the previous season have drawn glances from some of Europe's elite clubs, with Arsenal and Chelsea just two of a host of sides interested in the Brazilian's services, according to Mercato365.

Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also in the running to sign the forward, though the latter may need to offload some of their fringe attacking players in order to fund a move and comply with Financial Fair Play requirements. The Bundesliga champions view Malcom as a potential replacement for the ageing Franck Ribery, while the Ligue 1 leaders may sell the likes of Lucas Moura and Angel Di Maria in order to make room for the Sao Paulo-born attacker.

Of all the parties interested in the attacker, who primarily operates on the right wing, United's seems to be the strongest, with Jose Mourinho intent on scouting the former Corinthians star at every given opportunity.

The report claims that United boss Mourinho "does not miss" any of Malcom's matches and had a club scout watch over the Brazil youth international as Bordeaux drew with Marseille on Sunday (19 November) . United have examined surveyed a number of Malcom's performances this season, with Arsenal and Chelsea set to follow suit.

With Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil primed to leave Arsenal at the end of the season, manager Arsene Wenger will need to delve into the transfer market for fresh attacking talent. The aforementioned duo's prospective departures would make room for Malcom at the Emirates Stadium, but the Gunners will presumably be looking for more seasoned stars to fill the voids that look set to be left by the Chilean and German.

Chelsea may also be in need of an attacker in the coming months amid doubts over the futures of Charly Musonda and Willian. The Premier League champions have also been linked with a move for PSG's Moura, who is very much on the fringes in the French capital, but his compatriot Malcom certainly has a higher ceiling than his compatriot, who has not delivered on the initial promise he displayed at Sao Paulo all those years ago.