Tottenham overtake fellow Prem suitor for dynamic attacking midfielder despite difference over deal structure

Tottenham Hotspur have moved ahead of Nottingham Forest in the battle to sign Atalanta midfielder, Ruslan Malinovskyi, according to a report.

It has been a busy summer in the transfer window for both Tottenham and Nottingham Forest, for different reasons. Spurs have been seeking to improve their squad depth ahead of a Champions League return. Forest, meanwhile, have required upgrades in several positions to prepare for Premier League status.

Now, the two clubs seem to have identified the same target for one of their remaining transfer desires this summer. According to Tutto Atalanta, Malinovskyi is on their radar.

Tottenham are said to have overtaken Forest in the race for his signature. The attacking midfielder is seeking a change of scenery before the transfer window closes.

In fact, he reportedly approves of Tottenham as his next destination. To get there, though, his current employers will have to find a compromise with his potential takers.

According to the report, Atalanta want to sell Malinovskyi this summer if he is to push for an exit. However, Tottenham would prefer an initial loan deal, whereby they would only pay for him – either as an option or obligation – next year.

Therefore, there is some distance to shorten in the negotiations. What Forest’s position would be is unclear, but Tottenham seem to be the favoured solution for the player anyway.

They could give him the chance to play in the Champions League, which is a competition Atalanta have missed out on this year. Malinovskyi played five times in Europe’s top tournament last year, scoring once.

Overall, he managed 10 goals and seven assists from 41 appearances in all competitions. After three full seasons with Atalanta, though, he could be considering a