Transfer story
Tottenham’s Dele Alli is linked with a move to Spanish giants Barcelona after the latter spectacularly lost their prised asset Neymar to PSG last week. FC Barcelona need to replace not only the goals and assists, but also the fear factor that comes with a player like Neymar on the team-sheet.
With only three weeks left for the transfer window to close, the Blaugrana juggernaut are looking to the Premier League in order to fill the massive void left by the Brazilian. While there are other options such as Eden Hazard of Chelsea and Phillippe Coutinho of Liverpool, the focus seems to have shifted to North London, particularly Dele Alli.
Signing any of the aforementioned players, though, is sure to burn a hole in the admittedly deep pockets of Barcelona. But Barca’s pursuit of Dele Alli is a bit intriguing, as he is not one a player who dominates the highlight reels. Alli’s influence on the game can sometimes only be seen in the scorecard. He is almost a carbon copy of Chelsea Legend Frank Lampard, with the ability to arrive at the right moment at the right spot one of his specialties.
Stats
Alli’s Stats speak for themselves. Last season, he managed 18 goals in the league alone. Outstanding return for a midfielder. He also laid on seven assists. Alli has a shooting accuracy of 47%. He completes 80.7 % of his attempted passes. He has a staggering 0.49 goals per match ratio. (Via whoscored)
He was the recipient of the PFA young Player of the year last season for the second year running. Still only 21, Dele has a lot to offer his club and country.
What will Dele Alli offer?
Alli has the ability to adapt to the opponent he is facing. He has the knack for reading the game well, and can pop up anywhere in the final third to cause maximum damage to the opponent. With all-time greats like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, Dele Alli’s game can only improve over time. He can play in attack in a 4-3-3, but Alli is more suited to playing just behind the striker in a 4-3-2-1 setup.
At what price?
With a massive transfer kitty and a wage structure which supports Messi and co., the La Liga giants will not have a problem with Alli’s wage demands. They can offer much more than the highest earner at Tottenham, Harry Kane, who takes home 120,000 pounds a week.
Spurs have not been very busy in the market. They have lost one of their key men in recent seasons, Kyle Walker to rivals Manchester City. It would spell disaster for Daniel Levy and Tottenham if Alli were to leave in this window as they will not have sufficient time to replace the England International.