TuttoMercatoWeb have now revealed that Marseille could be set to launch an offer for rumoured Tottenham target Ruslan Malinovskyi.
Over the past few days, reports emanating from Italy have indicated that the race for Malinovskyi’s signature appears to be between Spurs and their London rivals West Ham.
CalcioMercato revealed earlier this week that Atalanta have taken up the option to extend the 29-year-old’s contract, which was initially set to run out next summer.
The report explained that while the Ukrainian dreams of a move to Antonio Conte’s side, the Lilywhites are facing competition from West Ham, who had also expressed an interest in the attacking midfielder.
The two London clubs’ interest in Malinovskyi was also backed up by Corriere della Sera, who claimed a couple of days ago that Tottenham had launched a loan offer for the player with an option to make it permanent at the end of the season, which could become an obligation if some conditions are met.
TMW have now reported that Atalanta need to sell before they can buy in January and are thus expected to move Malinovskyi on sooner rather than later.
The publication states that Spurs can ‘satisfy the economic request’ of the Serie A club but adds that the Premier League club need to be ‘beware’ of Marseille.
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The report asserts that the Ligue 1 club could be set to reestablish contacts with Atalanta over Malinovskyi after completing the sale of Gerson.
TMW add that Marseille could propose a loan with an option to buy the attacking midfielder, which would be ‘convenient’ for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side.
Spurs Web Opinion
If Tottenham were prioritising a move for Maliovskyi, they would have likely completed the deal already as it does not appear to be a difficult transfer to pull off, given Atalanta’s desire to sell and the midfielder’s keenness to join.
It seems like the Lilywhites view the Ukrainian as a potential fallback option in case the pursuits of their top two or three attacking targets end up collapsing during this window.
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