Malcom Abdulai Ares Djaló (born 12 October 2001) is a Spanish professional association football, footballer who plays as a winger (association football), winger for Athletic Bilbao.

Career

Born in Bilbao, Biscay to a Basque people, Basque father and mother originally from Guinea-Bissau (his cousin Álvaro Djaló is also a footballer) Ares began his career locally with SD Deusto, Danok Bat CF, SD Indautxu and Santutxu FC, where his talent drew the attention of Athletic Bilbao. Having played one season at senior level with Santutxu he joined the ''Lions'' in the summer of 2021, aged 19, and was initially assigned to their farm team, CD Basconia of the Tercera División RFEF (fifth tier). Ares's good form, as well as a need for reinforcements in the squad of the club's reserve team, Bilbao Athletic – struggling to survive in the 2021–22 Primera División RFEF – saw him promoted mid-season, and he continued to perform impressively at the higher (third) level while helping the team avoid relegation. In the summer 2022 pre-season, Ares was one of the youth players chosen for training and assessment as part of the Athletic senior squad (along with fellow forward Luis Bilbao and goalkeeper Álex Padilla). He was listed among the Substitute (association football), substitutes by coach Ernesto Valverde for the opening day of the 2022–23 La Liga campaign, and made his top division debut as a late replacement for Iñaki Williams in the closing minutes of the fixture against RCD Mallorca at San Mamés Stadium (2013), San Mamés, which ended goalless. He was a regular with the reserves that season as they suffered 2022–23 Primera Federación, relegation from the third tier, and made eight more appearances from the bench towards the end of the campaign for the first team – however, he was only on the winning side once as results eluded Athletic: they lost in the Copa del Rey semi-finals to rivals CA Osasuna, Osasuna and finished behind the same opposition in 8th position in La Liga, just out of the European places. On 14 December 2023, Ares extended his contract with Athletic Bilbao until 30 June 2027. The following 30 August, he was loaned to Segunda División side Real Zaragoza for 2024–25 Segunda División, the season.

Career statistics

Honours

*Copa del Rey: 2023–24 Copa del Rey, 2023–24

Notes

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ares, Malcom Adu Living people 2001 births Footballers from Bilbao Spanish people of Bissau-Guinean descent Spanish men's footballers Men's association football wingers La Liga players Primera Federación players Segunda Federación players Tercera División players Tercera Federación players Danok Bat CF players Santutxu FC players CD Basconia footballers Athletic Bilbao B footballers Athletic Bilbao footballers Real Zaragoza players Basque Country men's international footballers Sportspeople of Bissau-Guinean descent 21st-century Spanish sportsmen Segunda División players