Calciomercato have claimed that Tottenham have already made contact with Atalanta over a deal for Ruslan Malinovskyi in January.
Despite being heavily linked with a move to Spurs in the summer (TuttoMercatoWeb), Malovskyi stayed put at Atalanta but reports from Italy over recent weeks have backed the North London club to reignite their interest in the Ukrainian in January.
CMW.it reported last week that Fabio Paratici is eyeing a potential double deal for the attacking midfielder and his Atalanta teammate Giorgio Scalvini.
The report added that the Serie A club are ready to cash in on Malinovskyi to avoid losing him for free when his contract runs out next summer.
CalcioMercato have now reported something similar, explaining that the midfielder will be allowed to leave after falling down Gian Piero Gasperini’s pecking order.
The report states that Spurs, Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Marseille have all reached out over a January deal for Malinovskyi. However, it is asserted that Atalanta will demand a fee of around €30m (£26.1m) to let the 29-year-old leave.
Spurs Web Opinion
Atalanta cannot really expect to get £26m for Malinovskyi in January, given his contract situation, unless the Serie A club perhaps have the option to extend the Ukranian’s deal. The attacking midfielder would be a decent squad option to replace Bryan Gil if the Spaniard is loaned out by Spurs.