Atalanta star Ruslan Malinovskyi has refuted the speculation linking him with a move to Tottenham in the summer and revealed that he supported their arch-rivals Arsenal as a kid.
Despite being heavily linked with a move to Spurs in the final month of the summer transfer window (TuttoMercatoWeb), Malinovskyi ended up staying put at Atalanta.
Fabrizio Romano revealed in the days following the end of the transfer window that both Tottenham and Marseille wanted to sign the attacking midfielder on loan with an option to buy but Atalanta president Antonio Percassi prevented the player from leaving.
The journalist added that the 29-year-old’s future ‘remains open for next year’.
The print edition of Corriere di Bergamo (12/10/20 as relayed by Sport Witness) claimed earlier this month that the Ukrainian international could be on his way out of Bergamo in January.
However, that now appears unlikely, with Tuttomercatoweb claiming last week that the attacking midfielder has agreed on a new deal with Atalanta that runs until 2025.
Malinovskyi has now claimed that most of what was reported about his future over the last few months was untrue.
The Atalanta star told the Kyiv Cake YouTube channel: “They (the media) write a lot of things. But 80 per cent of them are untrue; starting with any relationship between a football player and a club, and a football player and a coach. It’s all a lie.
“I have never had any conflicts with the club or with (Gasperini). I even talked to him before the end of the transfer window. And he told me: ‘If there is an option with a better contract, with better conditions, I will be happy for you’.
“I played 100 matches in exactly three seasons. I’m very pleased that I have played so many matches. And with so many goals and assists in Serie A. I believe that it is not so easy.”
When asked if there were any clubs that he particularly liked while growing up, Malinovskyi responded: “There were many teams. Of course, I supported Arsenal when I was little. But it’s not the same Arsenal as it is now. I was a fan of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal. I’m not anymore.”
Spurs Web Opinion
If Tottenham did hold a genuine interest in Malinovskyi during the summer, I believe the club would have got the deal done. If it is true that the Lilywhites were only interested in signing the 29-year-old on loan, that suggests that Conte and Paratici were not fully convinced about the player.