On Saturday, we covered claims that stated Tottenham Hotspur are particularly interested in Atalanta’s Ruslan Malinovskyi.
Corriere Bergamo now claim the Serie A side rejected Nottingham Forest’s €15m offer for the 29-year-old two weeks ago. After that, Marseille president Pablo Longoria made contact over a potential exchange deal.
The Ligue 1 side cancelled the possible deal after comments made by the midfielder’s wife on Instagram, suggesting that he is being pushed out of the club.
It’s said these developments make it clear that Tottenham are the ‘favourite destination’ for him as the north London club are ‘at the window’ for Malinovskyi.
Spurs, who have an ‘excellent’ relationship with Atalanta, have not made an offer so far. Malinovskyi’s quarrel with manager Gian Piero Gasperini has been confirmed and he is now out of the project at the Italian club.
A move to Atalanta will see the Spaniard without any European football, while he could be an ‘immovable starter and relaunch his career’ in Italy.
The report states: ‘The feeling is that a solution will eventually be found. To understand if with an exchange, if with loans, or in some other way.’
Meanwhile, Gasperini has publicly admitted Atalanta should replace Malinovskyi before the window closes.
“Malinovskyi had arrived as a playmaker adapting to Ilicic, but it is right that Atalanta choose a more suitable player in the transfer market,” Gasperini was quoted as saying by La Repubblica.
“We spent years chasing an element with the characteristics of Josip. Ruslan is very good but in that offensive role he is adapted despite having done excellent things. But he remains a midfielder.”
La Repubblica claim the manager’s comments indicate Malinovskyi can leave, ‘maybe in the direction of Tottenham’, where both Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici are courting him.
