Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of £15 million Atalanta playmaker Ruslan Malinovskyi has stalled with the Ukrainian’s January move to the Premier League now under threat, according to Italian publication Il Giorno.
After negotiations with Spurs broke down over the summer, history could be about to repeat itself.
Malinovskyi, having already held face-to-face talks with Tottenham coach Antonio Conte, appears to have his heart set on a January switch to North London. And, with his contract expiring at the end of the current campaign, Atalanta are ready to accept just £15 million.
In a further boost to Spurs’ hopes, Bologna ruled themselves out of the race recently. Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, turned their attention to the incoming Gustavo Scarpa.
Tottenham Hotspur are in talks to sign Ruslan Malinovskyi from Serie A outfit Atalanta
But, while Tottenham remain in pole position for Malinovskyi (Sport Mediaset), the talks are no longer progressing as either party would have liked. According to Il Giorno, distractions caused by the ongoing Juventus situation – Spurs director Fabio Paratici spent over a decade working in Turin before heading to England in 2021 – are making Tottenham’s pursuit of Malinovskyi more difficult than it otherwise may have been.
Both Conte and Paratici, TMW add, believe Malinovskyi would be the ‘perfect’ January addition for a Spurs side over-reliant on the creativity of Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski. Malinovskyi, with his hammer of a left boot, is one of European football’s more underrated attacking midfielders.
Malinovskyi is at his best when cutting in from the right; like a certain silky Swede. He also has over 40 goals and over 40 assists across the last four seasons.
Nottingham Forest sign Gustavo Scarpa
Nottingham Forest failed with a £12 million bid over the summer. Steve Cooper’s side appear to have bowed out of the race for Malinovskyi’s signature; confirming the arrival of former Palmeiras talisman Scarpa on Sunday morning.
“I’m very happy to be here. It is a dream for me,” Scarpa tells Forest’s official website.
“It’s a new challenge and I can’t wait for it to begin. It’s always been an ambition since I was a little kid to play in Europe. And my dream is to play in the Premier League.
“I’m a technical player but also I’ve developed my game defensively over the past couple of seasons. I’m very dedicated, hard-working and I’m excited to get started now.”
Scarpa joins on a free transfer. He was named the best player in Brazil for the 2022 season.
“He’s an attacking midfielder. He is not particularly well-built but he has a lovely left foot. A wand of a left foot,” South American expert Tim Vickery tells talkSPORT.
“He’s going to struggle with the physicality. But that left foot, from set-pieces… terrific. And just the fact that he wants that experience of living in another country, experiencing another culture, that makes the whole adaptation process a lot easier.”
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