Reports in the Mirror today have linked Tottenham’s influential midfielder Dele Alli with a £50 million move to Ligue Une champions Paris Saint-Germain, who are said to be lining up a summer swoop for the England international. With Real Madrid also said to be tracking the 20-year-old, it caps a remarkable rise that saw him playing League 1 football with MK Dons only two years ago.
Having been knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage, it may be the time for Alli to consider whether or not he should move on from White Hart Lane. PSG are all but guaranteed a place in the competition every year and seem to be even more of a contender in every season.
Gareth Bale is the last high profile British player to move abroad, also departing Tottenham, and has seen his career go from strength to strength in Madrid. Alli is not quite at that level yet, but he has the potential to be. The real question would be whether Paris would be the place to realise that potential. Ligue Une is not the most competitive of European leagues, despite the side’s struggles this campaign, and may struggle to provide the motivation that Alli needs.
In London, Alli knows that he will be first choice and can work with Mauricio Pochettino who has worked wonders on the midfielder to turn him into the player that he is. A move to Paris would remove that stability, with there already being question marks over the future of Unai Emery who only joined in the summer. Tottenham may not be fighting for titles at the moment, but they are consistent and stable.
Having signed a £60,000 per week deal not too long ago, a move to Paris could be hugely profitable for the youngster. To date in his career, finances don’t seem to have been the biggest factor, but a mega-offer from Paris could see him tempted by the opportunity, even if he may lose his status as first choice with a move.
There is no doubting that Alli is one of the brightest talents of his generation and has the potential to one day follow in the footsteps of the likes of Gareth Bale, but it may be premature for Alli to move on just yet. That said, if Spurs fail to qualify for the Champions League this year, then they may not have long to prove that they can match his lofty ambitions.
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