Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Atalanta star Ruslan Malinovskyi and he is a ‘very interesting’ option for Antonio Conte to consider at Hotspur Way, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.
The Spurs boss will be handed an opportunity to strengthen his squad when the winter window opens for business at the turn of the year.
According to Italian media outlet Calciomercato, Malinovskyi is increasingly likely to join Tottenham during the early stages of 2023.
The report suggests Atalanta are seeking a fee of £13million for the 51-cap Ukraine international, while Marseille are behind Spurs in the race to reach an agreement.
Tottenham are in pole position to land Malinovskyi, but transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently told GiveMeSport that the capital club could be put off by the Serie A side’s demands as they look to tie up a deal.
Spurs are not the only side aiming to tempt the attacking midfielder away from Atalanta as Nottingham Forest and West Ham United are also admirers and mulling over whether to offer him a route into the Premier League.
There are ongoing doubts over Malinovskyi’s long-term future as his £19,000-per-week deal is set to expire next summer, meaning he could pen a pre-contract agreement with an overseas side from January 1.
Jones understands Tottenham’s hopes of signing Malinovskyi have not gone away after initially looking to sign him during the summer transfer window.
The journalist believes the 29-year-old’s arrival could help to fill the void left by Richarlison, who is currently on the sidelines with an injury.
Jones told GiveMeSport: “Malinovskyi is a very interesting one to consider again. Spurs’ interest has always been there.
“We know they’re looking for someone with attacking impetus who can break out of the midfield or can play in a variety of roles.
“He’s not the same as Richarlison but while he’s out injured, he can help fill a creative void.”
Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know
There is no doubt that Malinovskyi is a huge threat in the final third of the pitch as, according to Transfermarkt, he has found the back of the net 74 times and chalked up a further 68 assists over the course of his club career.
He has failed to hit the heights of previous years during the current campaign as he has only registered three goal contributions, although he has been restricted to just 538 minutes of action.
Malinovskyi also showed signs of rediscovering his best form during Atalanta’s 2-1 defeat to Lecce last month as he was handed an 8.2 match rating by Sofascore after grabbing an assist, winning three ground duels and making two tackles.
It is clear that Tottenham should take advantage of the Ukrainian’s contract situation and attempt to strike a cut-price deal during the January transfer window.
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