The Daily Express’ Ryan Taylor has described Tottenham target Ruslan Malinovskyi as an Antonio Conte-type player, due to his work rate and versatility.
Reports over recent days have indicated that Spurs are expected to sign an attacker to replace Bryan Gil if the Spaniard re-joins Valencia on loan (The Athletic).
Among the players who have been mooted as targets for the Lilywhites, Malinonskyi has been the most heavily linked, with TuttoMercatoWeb claiming last week that the North London club could soon begin negotiations for the Atalanta star.
Bergamo Corriero reported over the weekend that the Ukrainian had turned down Marseille’s approach and expressed his desire to join Spurs.
Meanwhile, Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini has hinted that Malinovsky could be on his way out by admitting that the Serie A club are on the lookout for a suitable replacement for the 29-year-old (The Evening Standard).
Taylor believes the Atalanta star would be a very good fit for Spurs as he can operate in several different systems.
When asked about Tottenham’s rumoured interest in Malinovskyi, the journalist told GiveMeSport: “He’s a kind of Conte-type player, a hard worker. He can play in multiple systems.
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“Atalanta are an exciting team, they play good football, they play attractive football, expansive football, but they’re also a hard-working team that have become a tough nut to crack, on the basis of, they’re not really anywhere near the size of some of the top Italian clubs.”
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What makes Malinovskyi a suitable target for Spurs is the fact that he will be relatively inexpensive and accepting of a bit-part role. The likes of Zaniolo, Maddison or Paqueta are likely to sulk if their opportunities are few and far between, which would not be good for dressing room morale.
Conte is essentially only looking for a player to make an impact from the bench if Spurs are chasing a game and Malinovskyi fits the profile of what he needs. Not only would the Ukrainian be able to operate as an eight or ten but he can also cover for Kulusevski out wide.
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