No Dele! – Why Tottenham Star Alli Should Stay Put With Spurs And Forget About Real Madrid
There is a notion that every footballer dreams to play for either Real Madrid or Barcelona at least once in their lifetime. Clubs from England, Italy or Germany have felt it tough to fend off interest when these two Spanish powerhouses have come knocking the door.
In 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo moved to cash-rich Madrid from Manchester United, while Gareth Bale was also lured by them a few years later, from Tottenham Hotspur. A blistering season for Liverpool saw Barcelona take away Luis Suarez in 2014, whereas Borussia Dortmund couldn’t resist the Catalan giants’ £135.5m offer for Ousmane Dembele and had to let him go this summer.
Without any shadow of doubt, Real Madrid are clearly the most prestigious and powerful club in the history of world football. When they came calling for Bale in 2013, Spurs had no other option but to cash in their most valuable asset then. The same happened with Manchester United in Ronaldo’s case. Going by recent reports, the European champions are again eyeing to raid Spurs for a talented player.
No it’s not Harry Kane, but his compatriot Dele Alli, who has had a spectacular rise in the last couple of years. Last month, according to Daily Mail, Alli was thinking about leaving long-time representative Rob Segal and joining a new agency. A new agent could instantly set about seeking an improved terms for the midfielder, something which could prompt a move away from London.
This news has alerted the big European clubs, with Madrid and Manchester United amongst those willing to test Spurs’ resilience for £70million-rated Alli.
On February 2, 2015, Alli signed for Spurs from boyhood club Milton Keynes Dons on a five-and-a-half-year deal for a fee of £5million. Since then, he has been a pivotal figure for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. The 21-year-old’s impact is so much that whenever he is performing, Spurs look like a team in poetry, and when he goes through an off-day, the same reflects on the team.
When playing for MK Dons in league two, Alli was already a player who was held in high esteem, but hardly anyone expected him to gel so well into Pochettino’s system at Tottenham and become an important member of the team, thus setting an exemplar to all the lower league players dreaming to play in the Premier League.
Spurs have been making a significant amount of noise for the past few years and surely, Alli could be part of something special. They narrowly missed out on the league title last season and are very much a part of the title race this season as well.
Last term, the England international scored 18 goals, adding to the 10 he scored in his debut season with Spurs; contributions that have seen him win the PFA Young Player of the Year the last two seasons running. So it is evident that Alli has a manager in Pochettino, who is considered as one of world’s top tacticians and it is helping the highly-rated starlet reach his potential.
Interest from Madrid is apparent and the temptation of winning league titles and Champions League medals might change Alli’s mind. But in Zinedine Zidane’s galaxy of stars, Alli will rarely get the recognition that he deserves, unlike at Spurs. Also, being a midfielder, he will have to fight for spots against the likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Isco, who are considered world class; hence, chances of stepping directly into the starting 11 looks bleak.
So, it will be sensible for Alli to stay focused on his game at Tottenham and not consider a move anytime soon. Big things will undeniably come for the young prodigy and if he happens to stay, he will write his name in Spurs’ folklore.
Comments are closed.