Should Spurs flog Dele Alli in January?

By Jonny Bray

There was a point in time where Dele Alli was one of the most highly-rated young players in the world.

During his sensational 2015/16 season, the midfielder impressed with his finishing, skill and strength on the ball.

He earned praise from well-respected figures in the game, including Sir Alex Ferguson, who believed that Alli would be the next big thing.

Performances such as the one he produced in Tottenham’s win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park that season, made it look like the world was at his feet.

The goal he scored in that game more than stands the test of time but things haven’t progressed quite how many fans had hoped.

He went from 10 Premier League goals in his first season at Spurs to 18 in his second to nine in his third but has regressed so much that he’s scored just one goal in his last 25 league appearances.

It’s not good enough for a player who showed so much promise at such an early age.

But should Spurs sell him?

He should stay

There are several reasons why Alli should stay.

Firstly, his value is probably the lowest since he joined the North London side.

Could Spurs expect anything more than £25 million for a player once valued in the hundreds of millions if they sold him now?

If he got more game time or got back to something resembling his best form, then they could inflate the price a bit.

Then there’s the fact that he could still become a top Premier League player. At just 25 years old, he still has time to fulfil his potential if he gets his act together quickly.

On top of that, he’s still got a considerable profile as a player and brings a lot to Tottenham off the pitch as an ambassador.

While this actually isn’t relevant to his day job, you shouldn’t underestimate the impact having a star like Alli can have on the profile of a growing club like Tottenham.

He should go

But Alli wouldn’t be in the situation he’s in if there weren’t a lot of reasons to sell him.

Regardless of his value, three managers have now lost faith in Alli during their time at the club.

In my opinion, the stereotype that footballers are prone to being distracted by off the field antics is an unfair one but in Alli’s case, that description might just fit.

He simply seems more interested in being on Twitch and being an influencer than in being a professional footballer.

Then there’s the question of if he actually fits into new manager Antonio Conte’s tactical plans.

Conte prefers either a 3-5-2 or a 3-4-3 formation that requires hard-working and versatile midfielders.

Alli could fit into the 3-5-2 as an attacking midfielder behind the two strikers, but it’s unlikely he’ll play in the two if Conte goes with a 3-4-3.

Alli is quite versatile, so he could be deployed in the front three as well.

Then there is his need for a fresh start after a difficult 24 months at Tottenham. It would definitely do him good to be in a new environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, selling Alli would be the right call.

He was a great player but he’s not anymore, and it makes sense to move him in while they still can.There’s also a desire for change under Conte, and it’s clear that Alli represents a previous era at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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