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Report: Spurs now ‘reluctant’ to sign £20m player who wants move, transfer may collapse

Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images
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Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur have signed quite a few household names this summer.

Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici dropped £60 million on Richarlison, their biggest signing of the transfer window.

But then there’s the likes of Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic and Clement Lenglet, three players who are by no means nobodies in the world of football.

One of the more obscure footballers linked with a transfer to Spurs is a certain Ruslan Malinovskyi.

The Atalanta midfielder is reportedly on Tottenham’s radar ahead of what would be a £20 million move, with the player’s wife Roksana already following Conte on Instagram.

However, Sky Sports man Lyall Thomas has revealed that the Lilywhites are reluctant to sign the player in a permanent deal, having turned 29 in May, but the Serie A outfit aren’t willing to loan him.

He told Sky Sports: “Atalanta’s Ruslan Malinovskyi is a player Spurs have looked into signing on loan but the Italian club are only willing to sell him permanently due to there being a year left on his contract.

“This does not appeal to Spurs, who are reluctant to commit transfer fees and long-term contracts to players who are over or approaching 30.”

conte chelsea Nicola Zalewski
Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images

Unfortunately for Tottenham, this one could definitely collapse.

It was reported earlier this week that the Ukrainian powerhouse was interested in a transfer to North London.

But it makes complete sense for Atalanta to refuse a loan arrangement if his contract expires next summer because, well, how do they benefit?

Unless Conte and Paratici break their stance, which seems unlikely because he doesn’t fit their profile of transfer target either, it looks like this one won’t be happening.

Ruslan Malinovskyi of Atalanta BC celebrates after scoring
Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images