Al-Hilal bought Malcolm from Zenit for €60 million

The best scorer of the last Russian championship Malcolm became the most expensive player ever sold from the Russian championship. The acquisition of one of the leaders of Zenith cost the Saudi Al-Hilal €60 million.

On Sunday, the chairman of the board of the winner of five previous championships of Russia “Zenith” Alexander Medvedev confirmed that the St. Petersburg club sold the Brazilian striker Malcolm to the Saudi Al-Hilal. Alexander Medvedev said that the fixed amount of the transfer was €60 million, and “all payments will be completed” before the end of the starting season. According to Medvedev, the figure is “an adequate reflection of a simple fact: Malcolm was recognized as the best player in the Russian Premier League last season and became the top scorer, scoring 23 goals.”

It’s about the record. If we take only the sales of RPL players, then before that the most expensive was the transition in 2016 from the same Zenit to Shanghai, compatriot Malcolm Hulk. The Chinese club paid €56 million for him. Moreover, if Hulk came to Zenit in the status of an absolutely accomplished superstar, then Malcolm, who played for Barcelona until 2019, has matured to this level in Russia.

Clubs in Saudi Arabia are conducting an extremely aggressive breeding campaign this summer. Within its framework, local clubs have already acquired more than two dozen players from Europe. Among them are many real stars like Karim Benzema, Ngolo Kante, Robert Firmin, Edouard Mendy, Marcelo Brozovic. At the same time, it is Malcom who will head the list of the largest Saudi purchases by value. So far, two of his future Al-Hilal partners have been at the top of the rankings. This is the Portuguese Ruben Neves from Wolverhampton and the Serbian Sergei Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio. According to Transfermarkt, they cost the club €55m and €40m.

Alexey Dospekhov