Tottenham have knocked back £150million interest from Manchester City and Barcelona in Dele Alli, according to the Sun.
The newspaper claim that the two big hitters have both made approaches to sign Alli but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has made it clear that the 21-year-old is “not for sale at any price” and his future is at White Hart Lane.
The Sun report mentions that even a sum of £150million would not be enough to convince Levy to cash in on the playmaker.
Good move for Tottenham?
A sum of £150million is crazy even by the increasingly lunatic standards of this summer’s market. Alli is a brilliant young player and has what it takes to be a dominant force in European football for the next decade. Given that the market has taken another few leaps forward since Paul Pogba was signed for £89million, it is not too far-fetched to value him at well north of £100million. Nevertheless, Spurs chiefs are right to knock back all interest in their young playmaker. They will not build a title challenge by cashing in on their best players, and Alli is just too good to lose. They are right to hold firm and hang tight.
This Is Futbol rating: 2/10
Likely to happen?
No chance, not this month. Spurs would lose huge credibility if they sold a key first-teamer to a bitter rival before the month is out. They can just about get away with losing Kyle Walker, whose lung-busting runs and speed do not quite compensate for a lack of consistency with his final ball. But Alli is a completely different kettle of fish. Along with Harry Kane, he is the emblem of the new Tottenham, a vibrant, young team who can demolish opponents with fantasy football while also mixing it with the best of them. He won’t go in the next fortnight, but this won’t be the end of sustained and financially lucrative interest from mega clubs in the 21-year-old with the world at his feet.
This Is Futbol rating: 1/10