Former Premier League scout Pavel Kucherov has told FanDay that Ruslan Malinovskyi was right to join Marseille despite reported interest from Tottenham Hotspur, insisting the move to Spurs wouldn’t have been good for his career.
Malinovskyi was reportedly close to joining Tottenham last summer, but that move failed to materialise (Tutto Atalanta).
Despite a strong campaign last year, Malinovskyi found himself on the fringes of the Atalanta squad this season and was told he could leave the club (Gazzetta dello Sport 16/11/22 as relayed by Sport Witness).
While it is thought Spurs made an approach early in the January transfer window, with a loan-to-buy deal on the table (Corriere della Sera), the player eventually joined French side Marseille.
He will remain on loan with the Ligue 1 team until the end of the season, when his contract with Atalanta expires. He will then have a decision to make on his long-term future.
It was believed that Malinovskyi was keen to play in the Premier League (Lyall Thomas), but Kucherov thinks the Ukraine international made the right call in opting for the move to France, suggesting it would have been too difficult for the 29-year-old to establish himself in the English top flight.
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He said: “I think the Premier League is a bit high for Malinovsky. At Tottenham, it would be very difficult for him to become a player in the first team. In Marseille, he will receive a lot of playing time.”
Spurs Web Opinion
It’s true that Malinovskyi would have been a squad player at Spurs. You can’t imagine he would start regularly in an attacking line that has Harry Kane, Dejan Kulusevski, Heung-min Son, and Richarlison, so maybe he did make the right decision for his career in moving to France.
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