Tottenham Hotspur will have been alerted by Ruslan Malinovskyi’s contract situation at Atalanta and Antonio Conte will be hoping he can replicate the success he enjoyed during the 2022 January transfer window at Hotspur Way, according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge.
Spurs have gone into the break from domestic action sitting fourth in the Premier League table, but boss Conte could bolster his squad during the fast-approaching January transfer window.
Italian media outlet Calciomercato have revealed that Malinovskyi will be among the most sought-after names during the early stages of 2023 and Tottenham are in the running for his signature.
But the same source has suggested that Spurs are not the only side keeping tabs on the attacking midfielder as Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Marseille are also mulling over whether to make a move, but Atalanta are unwilling to do business for less than £26million in January.
The Serie A giants’ hefty financial expectations come despite the fact Malinovskyi, a 51-cap Ukraine international, could sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club at the turn of the year.
That is because the 29-year-old is preparing to enter the final six months of his Atalanta deal, which is worth £19,000-per-week according to Salary Sport.
Respected Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, speaking on the House of Champions Podcast, has revealed that Malinovskyi ‘remains a player appreciated’ by Tottenham after they failed with a loan proposal in the summer.
Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know
Bridge believes Malinovskyi could follow in the footsteps of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, who joined from Juventus for up to £59million – as per Sky Sports – earlier this year.
The journalist feels the duo were initially seen as unglamorous signings but have gone on to make a lasting impression in north London and the Atalanta man may make a similar impact.
When asked about Malinovskyi’s contract situation at Atalanta, Bridge told GIVEMESPORT: “That will probably alert the likes of Tottenham.
“His stats don’t look glaringly good. However, I’d probably point to Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, who looked like Juventus reserves.
“Kulusevski has turned out to be one of Tottenham’s best players and Bentancur has been outstanding for Spurs. Those two signings from Juve have been a big reason why Spurs came fourth last season.”
Underwhelmingly, Malinovskyi has chalked up just three goal contributions since the campaign got underway, as per Transfermarkt.
However, the same source reveals the Ukrainian has been restricted to just five starts, making it difficult for him to produce his best, and his underlying numbers are promising.
FBref statistics show Malinovskyi has averaged more goals, shots on target, tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90 minutes than Kulusevski this season, which is no mean feat.
That underlines that Conte, who has been in the Spurs hot seat since his appointment just over a year ago, could be making a shrewd signing by luring the Atalanta man to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
You can find all of the latest football news and rumours right here
Danny is a Football Journalist at GiveMeSport, primarily covering Premier League football news and transfer rumours.
He joined Snack Media in 2021, but has more than a decade of experience in sports writing. Other titles Danny has written for include Shoot Magazine, Essex Echo, The Non-League Paper and various football club programmes.
You can find Danny on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Danny_Rust10
And on LinkedIn – https://uk.linkedin.com/in/danny-rust-698b1410a
© 2023 Sports New Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.