Speaking on a recent episode of the Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano discussed the future of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli.
Moving to Spurs from Milton Keynes Dons in what was a £5.97 million deal back in 2015, Alli has gone on to feature 228 times for the club, scoring 63 goals and providing 55 assists along the way.
However, so far this season, the £46.8 million-rated 24-year-old has struggled for game time under Jose Mourinho, making just two Premier League appearances, with the first of those seeing him being substituted at half time against Everton, and the second coming as a 21-minute cameo against Manchester United.
Aside from these two fixtures, the England international has been entirely left out of Mourinho’s Premier League squads, with the midfielder’s further appearances this season being limited to the club’s Europa League matches.
Due to this lack of game time, rumours circulated over the summer transfer window that the midfielder could be on his way out of north London, with reports suggesting that Spurs had offered the 24-year-old to Paris Saint-Germain, although the club eventually decided to reject a loan bid for Alli from the French side.
However, speaking on a recent episode of the Here We Go podcast, Romano provided an update on Alli’s current situation, suggesting that the midfielder could be on the move in January.
He said: “Pay attention to Dele Alli because he was so close to [leaving] the club last summer. He was offered to Real Madrid in the same deal [as] Gareth Bale.
“I think [in] January, something could change. In January or next summer, I think Tottenham will consider [letting] him leave, to find a solution. Let’s see if Paris Saint-Germain will be back.
“Let’s see what will happen also with other clubs, because Dele Alli is an important player. He’s in a difficult period with Mourinho, more with Mourinho than with the board of Tottenham, because the board is happy with Dele Alli, but obviously, they are expecting something different [from] this kind of player.
“The next big player ready to leave Tottenham could be Dele Alli. Let’s see [whether it will be] on loan [or on a] permanent deal, it would depend [on the] bids. At the moment, the situation is quiet, but [in] January or [next] summer, it’s going to change.”
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TIF Thoughts on Fabrizio Romano’s comments regarding Dele Alli…
From Romano’s comments, it is clear that the journalist is anticipating interest in Alli over the upcoming January transfer window, as well as sounding relatively confident that the midfielder could well be departing the club.
Considering the market value of Alli and the fact that he is not often being utilised by Mourinho at present, it does not make much sense for Spurs to keep the midfielder hanging around the club, or indeed for Alli to be happy to stay at Tottenham while he is not getting many minutes on the pitch.
As such, in our opinion, it would not be surprising to see Alli leaving the club in the not-so-distant future.