In a recent interview with Football FanCast, former England defender Graham Roberts has warned Jose Mourinho to not sell Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, Dele Alli. Roberts said,
“What I’m frightened of is that, what Jose did at Chelsea, letting [Mohamed] Salah go, letting De Bruyne go, two of the best players in the world at the moment.
“Is he going to do that with Dele Alli? Is he going to do that with other players and we lose them and they go on to be superstars?”
Alli’s Underwhelming Season At The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Alli has endured a tough season at the North London club thus far as he has failed to make himself a regular starter in Jose Mourinho’s first team. The Milton Keynes-born sensation has featured in 22 matches for Spurs this term, registering three goals and four assists on all fronts.
However, most of Alli’s appearances have come off the bench which is why he is only averaging 0.8 shots, 0.9 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game in the Premier League and the UEFA Europa League this season. Still, he deserves some credit for being tidy with his ball distribution after making 80.8% of his attempted passes in both those competitions (stats via whoscored).
The 25-year-old is still under contract at Tottenham until the summer of 2024, so Mourinho will have a real dilemma on his hands over whether to keep Alli for another season or cash in on him to generate enough funds for a suitable replacement at the end of this campaign.
What Are The England International’s Best Attributes?
On his day, Alli has the technical quality and composure to cause all kinds of problems for the opposition in the final third. He has excellent ball control that helps him pull off some dangerous dribbles towards the opponent’s penalty box.
The 37-time England international can also strike the ball with venom and is usually quite creative when linking up play with others around him. However, there is no denying that the lack of game time has hampered his development recently. Hence, it makes sense for Alli to seek a move elsewhere in search of more playing minutes in the coming seasons. At 25, he is about to enter the prime years of his football career, so he will be desperate to taste some silverware over the next few years.
Should Mourinho Keep Alli Beyond This Summer?
If this season is anything to go by, it’s safe to assume that Alli is not a major part of Mourinho’s first-team plans for the future. Therefore, it is only fair to the player for Spurs to sanction his departure during the summer transfer window rather than keep him unhappy for another season.
