Insider on Spurs’ interest in Malinovskyi

Dean Jones has admitted on The Done Deal Show that Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Ruslan Malinovskyi has been on the club’s radar for a long time.

The Lowdown: Conte after creativity

Prior to their commanding 4-0 victory against Crystal Palace in midweek, Spurs had been on an alarming run of conceding the first goal and leaving themselves with a mountain to climb in games.

That was duly stopped with an impressive victory which may make some wonder why Spurs were seemingly looking to sign an attack-minded player this month to help them score more goals.

Spurs have been heavily linked with Malinovskyi as he enters into the final few months of his contract with Antonio Conte in search of some creativity to help their push for the top four.

The Latest: Malinovskyi a long-time target

Amid reports that Malinovskyi will only cost £15m, Jones has claimed that the Ukrainian is someone much appreciated by Spurs.

He said: “They’ve been linked with Malinovskyi a few times at Atalanta. I do take this seriously, because I know that he’s been on the radar of Tottenham for a long time.

“He doesn’t play the same position or role as Kulusevski, but what he does do is he creates from the centre of midfield, and at times, Tottenham have really, really missed that; they don’t have that drive out of the centre of the park that would make the difference.”

The Verdict: Spurs could land a bargain deal

Malinovskyi would certainly fit the bill for Conte as he’s a player that can play in a number of different positions and is 29 years old, so could arguably arrive at the peak of his powers and able to contribute straight away.

Also, the fact that he’s spent the last few years of his career out in Serie A would suggest that Conte will know him quite well from his time working in the division with Juventus and Inter, so he clearly has seen something in the Ukraine international.

He’s also received high praise from neutrals with, ‘Breaking The Lines’ analysing the way he plays and what he brings to the game for Atalanta, labelling his skill and ability as ‘dazzling‘, which is exactly what Spurs need – especially if Dejan Kulusevski’s injury woes continue to be a common theme during the season.

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