Gus Poyet demanded assurances over Tottenham and Arsenal target Malcom before taking Bordeaux job

New Bordeaux manager Gus Poyet claims he has been assured that highly-rated Brazilian forward Malcom will not be leaving the club this month despite strong interest from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

Malcom, 20, has established a reputation as one of the most exciting young attacking talents in Europe during his two-year stint in southwest France, scoring 18 goals and providing 14 assists in 81 appearances across all competitions for Les Girondins.

Such eye-catching form has certainly not gone unnoticed across the Channel, with Arsenal previously said to be close to beating Tottenham to a deal for the former Corinthians youngster having identified him as part of their plan to compensate for the imminent loss of Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United.

It was subsequently reported by The Telegraph late last week that Tottenham, after holding initial talks with Malcom's representatives, had emerged as the new favourites to secure a transfer that could be worth up to €50m (£43.8m, $61.2m) with add-ons.

Arsenal, meanwhile, were said to harbour doubts over his availability in the current window and instead want to concentrate their focus solely on getting deals for Henrikh Mkhitaryan and wantaway Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang over the line.

Bordeaux owner Nicolas de Tavernost and president Stephane Martin have been repeatedly adamant that Malcom is not for sale this month and Poyet has now even gone as far as to claim that he would not have continued with his job interview at the Matmut Atlantique without first getting those guarantees that arguably the team's most talented player would be staying put.

"I asked straight away if Malcom would be staying or not," the former Brighton & Hove Albion and Sunderland boss, who resigned as head coach of Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Shenhua in September, told L'Equipe at his introductory press conference on Monday (22 January).

"They said yes. I said OK, now we can continue the discussion."

Malcom, who was recently summoned for a disciplinary interview at Bordeaux after he appeared in an ill-advised social media video after the home defeat by Caen, admitted following Saturday's 1-0 win over Nantes that it was a dream of his to play in England, though Martin is eager to stress that does not mean he will do so in the near future.

"Malcom, it has been said and said again, he will not be leaving," he reiterated. "He has said he wants to play in the Premier League one day. That is normal - what player wouldn't want to play in England?

"There is no problem with Malcom."

Arsene Wenger recently cast doubt on any Arsenal switch for Malcom by declaring that he did not think it would happen before the end of January, while Mauricio Pochettino labelled speculation over an agreement with Tottenham as merely "a rumour" following Sunday's 1-1 draw at Southampton.

United and Liverpool have also previously been said to be tracking the talented youngster.