Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have been told to fork out a mammoth €45 million to land Ruslan Malinovskyi from Serie A club Atalanta.
According to Calciomercato, Serie A giants Atalanta have demanded a whopping €45 million to part ways with Ukrainian attacker Ruslan Malinovskyi this summer.
The player has fallen out of favour with La Dea boss Gian Piero Gasperini and is likely to leave the Serie A club this summer. While there has been interest in the 29-year-old’s services, Atalanta’s asking price will do them no favours.
Tottenham have enjoyed a brilliant summer window and brought in Richarlison to add numbers upfront. The Brazilian international is a dogged competitor but is far from prolific in front of goal. Going into the campaign with him as Harry Kane’s lone alternative might not be the wisest approach.
It makes sense that Tottenham are still in the market for a player who can score goals, and Malinovskyi fits the bill. The Ukrainian attacker is not just capable of scoring goals but is also skilled in carving out opportunities for others. With the likes of Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura sniffing for opportunities, he could fit in well at N-17.
However, both Tottenham and Atalanta are yet to reach a common consensus regarding the transfer. Spurs are looking at a loan deal while the Serie A giants remain keen on a permanent move. Tottenham adopted a similar strategy with Pierluigi Gollini last season in a deal that did not do either the player or Atalanta any favours.
West Ham have raided the Serie A once already this summer, bringing in Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo. The Azzurri star will now provide competition to Michail Antonio, who has led the Hammers’ frontline for two seasons now. Given that West Ham now have a new striker in, it remains to be seen if David Moyes and co. will go big for Malinovskyi.
The player, for his part, is open to a move to the Premier League, and particularly Tottenham. But Atalanta continue to play hardball and are keen to reinvest the fee back into the playing squad. La Dea are seeking to bring in a left-winger and striker and could do with money coming in. With just days left to go in the summer transfer window, it remains to be seen if any potential suitors will bite.