Three Replacement Options For Dele Alli Who Tottenham Can Consider If The Englishman Decides To Join Real Madrid
Given Tottenham’s exciting growth under Mauricio Pochettino in the last couple of seasons, it has become a regular occurrence of a number of club’s star players getting linked with the so-called bigger clubs.
Dele Alli is chief among those who are being linked with a move away from the North London club on a constant basis and according to recent reports, Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are seriously pondering over making a move for the England international in the coming summer transfer window.
The 21-year old has grown into one of the best midfielders in the Premier League in the past two years, and has been their best player alongside Harry Kane as they continue to make huge strides under Poch. Alli might not have been able to hit the same form in the ongoing season, despite having scored 3 goals and an assist in 8 games, but he remains a prodigious talent and the interest from the likes of Madrid is unlikely to cede.
While it is highly unlikely that Alli might leave Tottenham anytime soon, but if the inevitable does happen, here are three replacements that the Lilywhites should consider to replace the England international.
Julian Draxler (PSG)
The 24-year old is one of the most promising playmakers in Europe and has been tipped to reach great heights and Spurs should look at him if Alli does end up leaving.
The £31.2m rated Draxler has always made the right noises at all his clubs, be it at Schalke, Wolfsburg or now at PSG and has also established himself as an integral part of the German national team as well, having captained Die Mannschaft to the FIFA Confederations Cup triumph in Russia this past summer. He has made 8 appearances for Les Parisiens this term in all competitions, scoring and assisting one goal apiece. With the plethora of attacking talent at PSG’s disposal and their need to balance books at the earliest, a sale is very much possible and he might turn out to be a great signing for Tottenham.
Anderson Talisca (Benfica)
The 23-year old Brazilian, currently on loan at Turkish club Besiktas is another player who could help Spurs replace Alli effectively, should he leave the club.
Talisca was on the radar of Manchester United in the summer, which should indicate the calibre of the player. He has demonstrated his all-round abilities for Besiktas in the attacking third, with some strong displays. In his 9 games in all competitions this term, Talisca has netted four goals and has registered an assist. The Brazil attacker has a decent record in the UEFA Champions League as well, having found the back of the net on 6 occasions in 16 games, showing that he can excel on the continental stages as well. He might not be the biggest name but he could prove to be an effective alternative.
Hakim Ziyech (Ajax)
The 24-year old Ajax attacking midfielder could be another viable option for Tottenham to look at, in the unlikely event of Alli’s departure to Real Madrid.
Ziyech, who joined Ajax in the summer of 2016 from FC Twente, has established himself as one of the team’s most important players in the past 18 months or so. The Moroccan international was pivotal to Ajax as they made it to the finals of the UEFA Europa League last season and has carried on with his good form despite his team struggling a little.
Ziyech, this season, has scored 3 goals and 4 assists in 11 games in all competitions. At 24, he has shown promising signs and will only get better from here on and could prove to be another shrewd capture by Tottenham, from Ajax, just like Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen.