New Marseille signing Ruslan Malinovskyi has played down suggestions he could have joined Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United or Nottingham Forest, telling RMC Sport that Premier League interest was ‘not concrete’.
The Ukraine international brought an end to months of incessant speculation this week, finally sealing his move away from an Atalanta side in transition before joining one of the biggest clubs in French football on a £9 million loan-to-buy deal.
Malinovskyi, since the start of last summer, has reportedly featured on the radars of Forest, West Ham and Spurs; Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici both allegedly believing a man famed for his long-range, left-footed firecrackers would have been the ‘perfect’ winter addition (TMW).
But while Tottenham stalled, Marseille slammed their foot down onto the accelerator; their desire and determination a key factor in Malinovskyi’s decision to eventually sign on the dotted line.
Ruslan Malinovskyi ends up at Marseille after long-running Tottenham interest
“I said yes right away,” Malinovskyi explains. “OM was the most concrete offer, I had no doubts.
“We were able to talk about me (moving to) England, but it was not concrete. I thought I would arrive (at Marseille) in August. So I followed the team a lot and I really like what they do.”
According to Fabrizio Romano, Malinovskyi would have loved to join former Atalanta duo Dejan Kulusevski and Cristian Romero at Tottenham. The emergence of Bryan Gil – another stylish, left-footed attacking midfielder – may have played a part in Spurs’ decision not to make a counter offer once Marseille made their move.
Malinovskyi links up with Igor Tudor at the Stade Velodrome; a coach the 29-year-old knows well from his time in Serie A.
“I know him well. It was always hard to play against (Tudor’s) Hellas Verona,” Malinovskyi adds. “It’s a style that suits me well. I like this dynamic football.
“Coming here is a big step forward in my career It’s a team that wants to win trophies. I’m 29 but I can still improve. I haven’t reached the peak of my career.”
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