Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Ruslan Malinovskyi would suit Antonio Conte perfectly, claims Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor.
The Lowdown: Malinovskyi move close
Despite the arrival of seven new additions at Hotspur Way this summer, The Athletic have reported that Lilywhites managing director Fabio Paratici does still want to sign a replacement for Bryan Gil if his alleged move to Valencia is completed in the coming days.
As a result, a number of attackers have been touted with a north London switch, including Atalanta’s Malinovskyi, whose contract expires in less than 11 months time.
According to reports in Italy, Atalanta have placed an £18m price-tag on the 29-year-old, Tottenham are in pole position to secure the Ukrainian’s services and the player is even personally interested in a move.
The Latest: Taylor reacts
Taylor believes that with his hard-working attitude, Malinovskyi would excel playing in Conte’s high-intensity system.
Reacting to the news in a chat with GiveMeSport, the reliable journalist claimed:
“He’s a kind of Conte type player, a hard worker. He can play in multiple systems.
“Atalanta are an exciting team, they play good football, they play attractive football, expansive football, but they’re also a hard working team that have become a tough nut to crack, on the basis of, they’re not really anywhere near the size of some of the top Italian clubs.”
[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/" title="Tottenham latest developments!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]
The Verdict: Great signing for Spurs
Praised for his ‘stunning left foot’ by journalist Josh Bunting, the attacking midfielder has a emphatic record in front of goal for a midfielder, having produced 23 goals and 23 assists in 102 appearances in Serie A.
However, Malinovskyi’s underlying stats are even more impressive. As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the Ukraine international ranks in the 97th percentile for shots total, in the 96th percentile for progressive passes and in the 95th percentile for xG assisted and shot-creating actions – illustrating his ability to create chances for himself and his teammates.
With a relatively meagre £18m valuation set by the Italian club, Tottenham should sign him up quickly as they look to add quality and depth ahead of a busy season in the Premier League and in Europe.