Journalist Says “Problematic” 17.3M Valuation Could Scupper West Ham’s Chances Of Signing Serie A Playmaker
West Ham and Tottenham are both “interested” in Atalanta attacking midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi but his price tag could prove “problematic” according to reporter Ignazio Genuardi.
The French journalist claims that Atalanta are keen on selling the Ukrainian international for around €15m (£13m) to €20m (£17.3m):
En manque de temps de jeu avec l’#Atalanta #Bergame, #Malinovskyi reste ciblé par #Marseille, mais l’Ukrainien garde une préférence pour la PL, où Tottenham et West Ham sont notamment intéressés. De plus, le coût d’un tel deal apparaît problématique (15-20 M€). #Mercato #OM
— Ignazio Genuardi (@IgnazioGenuardi) December 8, 2022
There have been recent reports in the English media suggesting that Hammers boss David Moyes is looking to add some firepower in January after the team’s woes in front of goal at the start of this season.
However, it is believed that the London club will be targeting a striker rather than a midfielder. Malinovskyi does have a decent scoring record but West Ham have a fair number of players that are similar to him in the first-team squad.
In addition to Lucas Paqueta, the likes of Manuel Lanzini and Pablo Fornals can also play in a number 10 role if required. Perhaps, if Paqueta is asked to play deeper like he does for Brazil, then there could be room for someone like Malinovskyi.