Wanting another player to help link the midfield with the attack, Antonio Conte told Fabio Paratici that he wanted Ruslan Malinovskyi from Atalanta.
That was back in the summer, but a deal was never struck with the Serie A side, and the Ukraine international stayed put, where he spent a frustrating first half to the season.
He was barely used by Gian Piero Gasperini, who seems to have moved on from him, meaning a door is open for a January transfer.
This has been a story for a while now, with Tottenham continuing their pursuit of the player, whose contract in Bergamo ends in June 2023.
Still, Atalanta aren’t interested in letting him go for cheap midway through the season, and are asking for €18m.
This is according to Corriere di Bergamo on Sunday, claiming that Tottenham ‘offer’ €15m for him and ‘remain at the window’, while a ‘sale is being evaluated’.
That is ‘not enough’ for them, and it’s reiterated the 29-year-old has ‘lost his edge behind the strikers’ at Atalanta.
All this helps Tottenham, but if they have offered €15m, they will need to increase that a little bit if they want to sign him in the next few weeks.
