Malcom Adu Ares

Malcom Abdulai Ares Djaló (born 12 October 2001) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger for La Liga club Athletic Bilbao.

Career
Born in Bilbao, Biscay to a Basque mother and father 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 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, which ended goalless. He was a regular with the reserves that season as they suffered 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 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.

Honours

 * Copa del Rey: 2023–24