Tottenham: £39m target now 'one to watch' at Hotspur Way

Tottenham Hotspur could revisit a deal for Atalanta midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi in January after failing in their pursuit of the Ukrainian this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Antonio Conte oversaw a busy few months of business at Hotspur Way but fell short in his late attempt to bolster his squad.

As the summer transfer window approached its conclusion, Tottenham reportedly moved into pole position to land the 29-year-old.

At the time, it was understood that Atalanta were demanding just £15 million for Malinovskyi’s signature.

The Nerazzurri’s manager, Gian Piero Gasperini, also confirmed that he would be willing to allow his star to depart before the window closed.

However, reports in Italy have since suggested that the asking price rose to £39 million as the final days of the window approached. They added that Atalanta were only interested in an outright sale, whereas Spurs were looking for a loan with an option to buy.

Conte was understood to be eager to add an extra creative presence to his midfield in order to reduce the club’s reliance on their wide players.

Jones understands that the deal could well be resurrected during the January transfer window.

The insider suggests that Atalanta’s tough stance could easily soften before the new year and Conte may be able to finally get his man.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “Atalanta became quite stubborn over this one. Spurs, they had been looking into a loan deal for this, but they gave up on the idea because Atalanta just weren’t doing it and it clearly wasn’t going to happen. But that situation could easily change so it’s one to keep an eye on for January.”

When it comes to central midfielders, Tottenham are not exactly light on options.

Yves Bissouma