Tottenham Hotspur are "interested" in Ruslan Malinovskyi but could be put off by the terms Atalanta are demanding, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reveals.
The Ukrainian midfielder joined Atalanta in 2019 and has recently been linked with a move away from the Serie A outfit.
What's the latest news involving Malinovskyi and Tottenham?
It's been a mixed campaign so far for Tottenham. While they negotiated a tricky-looking Champions League group as winners, Spurs suffered a disappointing defeat against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup Third Round, while stuttering performances in the league has seen the north Londoners fall behind leaders and rivals Arsenal.
Having spent close to £150 million in the summer window, Spurs boss Antonio Conte has not yet been able to work his magic at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Since taking over in November 2021, Conte has guided Tottenham back into the Champions League, but the ever-growing wait for a trophy looks set to continue.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the current season, Conte's future remains in doubt ahead of the second half of the campaign. Journalist Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT the Italian will "need to know" if success is possible with Spurs, before committing to the club.
Regardless, there are suggestions Spurs could enter the January market in search of reinforcements, with Malinovskyi one name linked to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Italian outlet Calcio Mercato reported that Spurs' path to signing the Ukrainian could be made easier, as French side Olympique de Marseille have already ended their interest.
The same report also suggested Spurs could acquire Malinovskyi for as little as €18m (£16m), but any deal would have to be completed on Atalanta's terms.
What has Romano said about Malinovskyi and Tottenham?
Conte has been known to turn to the Serie A market for reinforcements in the past and speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer expert Romano has tipped the Italian manager to do the same with Malinovskyi.
"Now it's on Atalanta to decide if they want to let him go or not," Romano explained.
"Tottenham remain interested in Malinovskyi, but they are not negotiating with Atalanta. That's because the conditions of the deal right now are not what Tottenham wanted."
What would Malinovskyi offer Tottenham?
An attack-minded midfielder, Malinovskyi would offer Tottenham increased creativity from central areas. No stranger to a goal contribution, Malinovskyi has racked up 30 goals and 28 assists in just under 150 appearances for Atalanta.
While the north London outfit have found success with Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield, Malinovskyi would provide a level of dynamism and versatility not seen since Christian Eriksen left the club.
According to Fbref, Malinovskyi sits in the top six percentile for shot-creating actions, when compared to attacking midfielders in the last year. Increasing their attacking threat could be crucial for Spurs heading into the second half of the campaign, with Malinovskyi the ideal January candidate.