Bologna director Marco di Vaio has admitted that the Serie A club cannot afford a deal for rumoured Tottenham target Ruslan Malinovskyi during the January transfer window.
Malinovskyi was heavily linked with a move away from Atalanta in the summer, with Tottenham being named as one of the potential destinations for the attacking midfielder at the time (TMW).
(Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
The Ukrainian will perhaps be ruing his decision to stay put at Bergamo as he has found starts hard to come by in the first part of the campaign (Transfermarkt).
However, if reports from Italy over recent weeks are to be believed, the 29-year-old appears destined to say goodbye to Bergamo when the transfer window reopens in January, with the Serie A club allegedly willing to sell the player for £15.5m (Gazzetta dello Sport – 16/11/22 as via Sport Witness).
Sport Mediaset claimed a couple of days ago that Spurs are in ‘pole position’ to win the race for Malinovskyi’s signature in January.
However, Italian journalist Rudy Galetti suggested earlier this month that Antonio Conte’s side could face competition from Serie A clubs, particularly Inter Milan, for the Atlanta star.
One club that Spurs need not worry about when it comes to their pursuit of Malinovskyi is Bologna, with Di Vaio now confirming that the Serie A club cannot pay the fee that Gian Piero Gasperini’s men are demanding for the midfielder.
When asked if Malinovskyi is an option in January, the Bologna director told Radio Nettuno Bologna Uno (22/11/22 as relayed by TuttoMercatoWeb): “No, the numbers are impossible for us. Both economically and technically. I think he will remain in that circle of clubs that play in Europe.
“Today, we are able to bring in unknown players, to make them grow. Now, it is a question of raising our level to be able to afford (players like) Malinovskyi in the future.”
Spurs Web Opinion
A deal for Malinovskyi should be fairly easy for Spurs to pull off, given Atalanta’s desire to sell and the player’s inclination to leave. However, I am not convinced that Ukrainian will be at the top of Conte and Paratici’s wishlist. Instead, I suspect that Spurs might view the Atalanta star as a backup option if a deal for Weston McKennie does not materialise.
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