Malcom 'Was Very Happy at Barcelona' Before Zenit Saint Petersburg Move

Malcom has said he was "very happy" at Barcelona before his summer move to Zenit Saint Petersburg. 

The 22-year-old signed for the Russian Premier League club earlier this month just over a year after moving to the Camp Nou from Bordeaux for £36.5 million.

His sole season with the Spanish giants saw him make just 15 appearances in La Liga, nine of them from bench.

The arrival of Antoine Griezmann at Barca was set to limit Malcom's game time even more, paving the way for his exit to Russia.

Despite his limited game time, though, Malcom has said he was enjoying life with the Blaugrana, per Tauan Ambrosio of Goal:

"I've always tried my best, because in a club like Barcelona you have to be always ready. And every time I was called to play I gave my maximum. Football is like this, you have to grab your chances. Zenit made a great effort to hire me, and they made a very good proposition. I was very happy at Barcelona, and I'm sure I will be happy here at Zenit."

Malcom got his move to Barcelona on the back of a fine 2017-18 season with Bordeaux in which he scored 12 goals and provided seven assists in Ligue 1:

His lack of game time last term stalled his progression slightly, but he should have a chance to flourish at Zenit.

Although the Russian top flight is not one of Europe's most high-profile leagues, Malcom will have an excellent chance to add more silverware to his trophy cabinet at Zenit as they are defending champions and top of the table.

Zenit are also set to appear in the group stage of this season's UEFA Champions League.

It will be their first appearance in Europe's elite tournament since 2015-16, when they made the last 16 after topping a group including Gent, Valencia and Lyon.