Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly expected to open transfer talks with Serie A side Atalanta over potentially signing Ruslan Malinovskyi in the upcoming January transfer window.
The Lowdown: Spurs' previous interest in Malinovskyi
The north London club were linked with a move for the Ukrainian during the previous summer window but didn't end up signing him. Instead, the Lilywhites ended up bringing in players such as Ivan Perisic, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison and Djed Spence.
Now though, it appears that Antonio Conte's side are looking to make an effort to try and sign the midfielder once the upcoming winter window opens for business.
The Latest: Spurs plotting Malinovskyi move
According to a recent report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), a suitable offer could tempt the Italian club to sell the player in January.
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The report also adds that Spurs are one of the clubs interested in signing Malinovskyi that have the financial means to do so, leaving talks between the two clubs expected to take place at some point.
The Verdict: A useful signing for Spurs
With 142 appearances for Atalanta under his belt, the 29-year-old, who reportedly has a price tag of €50m (£43m), has scored 30 goals and delivered 28 assists along the way.
Despite only racking up 543 minutes of Serie A action this season across 14 appearances, Malinovskyi has still managed to have 19 attempts at goal, leaving him with the highest rate of shots at goal per 90 minutes (3.15) at the club.
Having also made the second-highest number of passes into the final third of the pitch (36) at Atalanta, this further highlights how much of a useful attacking and creative figure he can be.
Taking all of this into account, if Spurs were to secure a winter transfer deal for Malinovskyi, who journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor described as a "glorious" player, this could be a great signing for the club and give Conte another midfield option that knows how to be an attacking threat.