If manager rumour is true, Spurs could be back for player they’ve just missed out on – Our View

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According to CalcioMercatoWeb, Tottenham Hotspur have earmarked Gian Piero Gasperini as their number one target to replace Antonio Conte if he leaves north London in the near future.

Conte is continuously being linked with a departure from Spurs, and it now sounds as though Fabio Paratici has come up with a contingency plan for if the ex-Chelsea boss does walk away.

Gasperini’s arrival in north London would be very interesting. This is the manager who has overseen one of the most exciting tactical revolutions in Serie A in recent years with Atalanta, and he’s been described as a ‘special’ manager in the past.

However, perhaps one of the most intriguing things about Gasperini’s potential arrival is one of the players he’s may look to bring to the club alongside him.

Indeed, if Gasperini does come to Spurs, it may not be long before we see Ruslan Malinovskyi once again linked to Tottenham as well.

The Ukrainian attacking midfielder has been flirting with Spurs for almost 12 months at this point, a bid has reportedly been readied this month and according to Fabrizio Romano, the playmaker would be more than open to joining the Lilywhites.

Unfortunately, there is a slight problem here. Malinovskyi now looks set for a move to Marseille, but if Gasperini heads to Spurs at some point in the next 18 months, perhaps he’ll be ready to move again.

His desire to head to north London will only increase if Gasperini goes to Tottenham. After all, he’s one of the Italian manager’s favourite players – he’s even described him as ‘exceptional‘ in the past.

Since joining Atalanta in 2019, Malinovskyi has been almost ever-present under Gasperini. He’s played under him no fewer than 143 times, while his 30 goals and 28 assists represent a brilliant return from the 29-year-old.

Fabio Paratici is a fan, he fits Gasperini’s system and he’s reportedly to a move to the Premier League club.

With the player out of contract in the summer, a move away from Atalanta may well be on the cards, and if Gasperini heads to Tottenham anytime soon, he may well be destined to follow the Italian manager to England.