Tottenham: Paratici and Conte have 'talked about' signing £26m star

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By Danny Rust

Published Nov 28, 2022

Tottenham Hotspur managing director Fabio Paratici and head coach Antonio Conte have held discussions over a £26million transfer target, it has been claimed.

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 29: Antonio Conte, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur, looks on prior to kick off of the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur at Vitality Stadium on October 29, 2022 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur could look to lure Atalanta star Ruslan Malinovskyi to Hotspur Way for a 'cut-price fee' and the north Londoners' supporters should trust Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte in their pursuit, according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge.

Spurs spent close to £150million during the summer transfer window, according to Transfermarkt, but further reinforcements may be secured in January.

GiveMeSport Transfer Verdict

Tottenham transfer news - Ruslan Malinovskyi

According to Italian media outlet Calciomercato, Tottenham are in the running to sign Malinovskyi during the early stages of 2023.

Speaking on the House of Champions Podcast, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Atalanta attacking midfielder 'remains a player appreciated' by Spurs after they failed with a loan proposal in the summer.

Malinovskyi is set to enter the final six months of his contract, which is worth £19,000-per-week according to Salary Sport, meaning there are doubts over his long-term future.

Calciomercato have revealed that Tottenham are not the only side keeping tabs on the 29-year-old as Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Marseille are also mulling over whether to make a move, but Atalanta will be seeking upwards of £26million in January.

French media outlet L'Equipe have reported that Marseille could accelerate talks with Malinovskyi after Amine Harit sustained a serious injury prior to the break from domestic football.

What has Michael Bridge said about Malinovskyi?

Bridge believes the Tottenham fanbase should back managing director Paratici and head coach Conte if they look to strike a deal for Malinovskyi despite his underwhelming start to the season.

The journalist feels recent injuries to Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski showed the capital club need more strength in depth.

Bridge told GIVEMESPORT: "If Spurs did go for him in January for a bit of a cut-price fee, I don't think Spurs fans should be too alarmed by his record this season. I think they should trust Paratici and, in particular, Antonio Conte.

"Also, there's not much coming off the bench if Richarlison or Kulusevski get injured. They'll probably need a couple more experienced bodies because they just looked a bit light when they picked up an injury.

"It wouldn't surprise me and I know it's a player they have talked about."

Would Malinovskyi be a good signing for Tottenham?

Malinovskyi has not been at his best this season and that is emphasised by the fact he has only scored one goal and provided a further two assists in 14 appearances, according to Transfermarkt.

But there is no doubt that the 51-cap Ukraine international is capable of being a serious threat in the final third of the pitch.

As per FBref, Malinovskyi is in the 96th percentile for shots and progressive passes among his positional peers over the last year.

He was also the best player on the pitch when Atalanta suffered a 2-1 defeat to Lecce earlier this month, registering a match rating of 8.2 according to SofaScore, so he could prove to be a shrewd addition if Tottenham can get a deal over the line.

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