Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte could make ‘another great addition’ to his first-team squad in the shape of Ruslan Malinovskyi, journalist Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.
The 29-year-old is out of contract with current club Atalanta next summer and is expected to depart the Gewiss Stadium in January as a result.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news – Ruslan Malinovskyi
Back in August, Italian outlet TuttoAtalanta first credited Tottenham with an interest in Malinovskyi, although a formal offer failed to materialise.
And CalcioMercato have now provided an update on the Ukraine international’s situation, stating that La Dea have in fact upped their asking price.
It’s claimed that Atalanta now hope to receive a fee in the region of €18 million (£15.4m) after previously valuing Malinovskyi at €15m (£12.8m).
That figure is said to be too much for the attacking midfielder’s fellow potential suitors Marseille, who are instead hoping to conclude either a loan deal or a swap.
Tottenham may look to capitalise on the French outfit’s inability to compete financially, securing Malinovskyi’s signature without any real competition.
What has Jones said about Malinovskyi?
Richarlison is currently sidelined through injury, and Jones has informed GMS that the fact Malinovskyi isn’t a direct alternative to the Brazilian is a positive for Spurs.
Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know
He said: “Long-term, you probably don’t want a like-for-like Richarlison replacement, and you wouldn’t be getting that in him.
“So, another great addition to the squad, if you could get him through the door. I think this is a really interesting one that might come to the table.”
Would Malinovskyi be a good signing?
Malinovskyi has established himself as a top talent in Serie A, registering 30 goals and 28 assists in 142 appearances since arriving from Genk back in 2019.
The 5 foot 11 ace has found opportunities hard to come by this season, though, and has featured from the off on just five occasions but has still managed to put up some impressive underlying numbers.
As per FBref, Malinovskyi has ranked in the 96th percentile for progressive passes, 93rd for total shots, 92nd for shot-creating actions, and 89th for expected assists amongst his positional peers over the last year.
Malinovskyi could add a creative spark that has arguably been missing from Tottenham’s play in the opening months of the season, providing another element to the forward options at Conte’s disposal.
News Now – Sport News
About Author
