Ruslan Malinovskyi has told Atalanta president Luca Percassi that he is keen to join Antonio Conte’s Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur despite interest from Marseille and Nottingham Forest, Sport Italia reporter Michele Crisciello explains.
Considering that Inter Milan opted against signing the Ukraine international during Conte’s spell in the San Siro dugout, reports linking Malinovskyi to Tottenham certainly raised an eyebrow or two.
Conte is never going to adapt to Malinovskyi. That 3-4-2-1 formation does not change for anyone. But could Malinovskyi adapt to Conte?
There’s only one way to find out of course. According to Corriere Bergamo, Conte plans to use Malinovskyi not in a central midfield role but as competition for fellow Serie A import Dejan Kulusevski on the right-hand side, allowing the former Genk ace to cut in onto his ‘cannon’ of a left-foot.
Malinovskyi is also a target for Nottingham Forest and Marseille. But the chance to play under a coach as iconic as Conte is an opportunity Malinovskyi seems determined to grasp.
Ruslan Malinovskyi chooses Tottenham over Nottingham Forest
“(Atalanta president) Luca Percassi had a meeting during the day with Ruslan Malinovskyi,” Crisciello explained on Monday, points backed up by Ukrainian reporter Viktor Vatkso.
“(Malinovskyi) presented himself in the meeting saying that he would be willing to go on loan to Tottenham, without considering the Marseille offer.
“Luca Percassi really likes Malinovskyi and does not want to let him leave, and reiterated it to the player.”
An offer in their region of £20 million could twist Percassi’s arm. Spurs, however, reportedly want Malinovskyi on loan first, albeit with an option-to-buy clause in his contract. Sergio Reguilon or Japhet Tanganga – two players on La Dea’s late-summer wishlist – may be makeweights in the deal (SportItalia).
A brilliant striker of the ball from long-range, Malinovskyi marked what could be his farewell appearance for Atalanta with a trademark left-footed finish in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with AC Milan. He’s hit double figures now in three of the last four seasons.
”(Malinovskyi) has been extraordinary for us,” Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said over the weekend, via The Standard.
“He has been great at adapting, he has done some very good things. But it’s right for Atalanta to look for a player who scores more than six goals. He has adapted very well. But it’s right that in the market the club looks for players with characteristics more suitable for (our) game.”
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