The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is well underway and the break for the tournament has given Tottenham Hotspur a break from Premier League action.

Antonio Conte and Fabio Paracti have been given addition time to prepare for the upcoming January transfer window as Spurs could look to improve their squad heading into the second half of the campaign, to give themselves the best chance of achieving success domestically and in the Champions League.

One player who could be on his way to London in the winter market is Ukrainian magician Ruslan Malinovskyi, who is reportedly valued at around €30m (£26m).

Journalist Pete O'Rourke recently revealed that the club are eyeing up a potential swoop to sign the Atalanta attacking midfielder at the start of 2023.

The reporter told GIVEMESPORT: “He’s a good player – a Ukrainian International who can play further forward in midfield, score goals and create goals.

“I think, ideally, that’s something Antonio Conte wants to add to his side – somebody who can maybe provide goals from midfield and also creates assists as well. Malinovskyi, I think, ticks a lot of boxes for Tottenham, and this is a deal they’re definitely exploring to try and do in January.”

The “animal”, as he was once dubbed by journalist Fernando Evangelio, could be an upgrade on Lucas Moura as part of Conte's attacking options for the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.

Both players are versatile attackers who can play centrally or out wide and this means that the Atalanta gem could replace the Brazilian as a rotation option who can provide cover in a plethora of positions.

Moura has struggled to produce consistent quality in the final third. He has racked up six goals and eight assists in 56 appearances in all competitions since the start of last season and has failed to register a single goal or assist in 11 outings in the current campaign, including eight matches in the Premier League.

He has 38 goals and 27 assists in 213 matches for Tottenham in all competitions since joining the club from Paris Saint-Germain but has not scored more than four league goals since the 2018/19 season.

Malinovskyi, meanwhile, has scored nine goals and provided nine assists in 55 games during the same period, after managing eight goals and 12 assists during the 2020/21 Serie A campaign.

The gem has amassed 30 goals and 28 assists in 142 games for Atalanta, which works out at a goal involvement every 2.65 matches on average - compared to Moura's goal or assist every 3.27 outings for Spurs.

These statistics suggest that the versatile Ukrainian talent could be an upgrade on the current Tottenham attacker as both players can play in a multitude of roles but the 29-year-old has the potential to make more of an impact in the final third to win matches for Conte.