Barcelona have reportedly set their sights on Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli over a sensational move this summer.
Spanish publication Don Balon have reported that Dele Alli is the subject of interest from Barcelona who are set to make a move to sign him in this summer’s transfer window. The Catalan club are eyeing the Tottenham midfielder as an alternative to Marco Verratti and Paulinho.
Alli has been a revelation for Tottenham ever since he made the move to North London from MK Dons in 2015. Although the switch from the third division to the top flight of English football is quite the significant step up, the player showed no signs of nerves as he adapted to his new surroundings quickly.
So much so, that Alli is now one of the most vital cogs in Mauricio Pochettino’s first-team setup at Tottenham. The player has been already named in the PFA Team of the Year and won the PFA Young Player of the Year for each of the seasons he has been with Spurs.
Alli’s record for Tottenham over the last two seasons is impressive indeed, with the player bagging 32 goals and 24 assists in 96 appearances for the Lilywhites. His exploits for the North London club haven’t gone unnoticed either, with the youngster attracting interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
Barcelona are the latest club to express an interest in the player, with Lionel Messi and Neymar believed to huge admirers of his talents. The report suggests that the two superstars have also asked the Blaugrana to make a move for Alli, with the club in search of a midfielder this summer.
The Catalan giants have been hot in pursuit of Marco Verratti this summer, but the Italian looks set to remain with PSG as per recent reports. Barcelona had also been eyeing Paulinho as an alternative for Verratti, but Don Balon claim that they have now turned their attention towards Alli.
Alli would be a definitive upgrade over the likes of Andre Gomes and Denis Suarez, who have struggled to adapt to the challenges at Camp Nou, and the Englishman is also likely to usurp Ivan Rakitic for a place as a regular in Ernesto Valverde’s side.
And at 21, he is potentially a long-term solution at the centre of the park as compared to Paulinho who, at 28, has only a few years left at his peak ideally.
Tottenham, though, are likely to be unwilling to let go of one of their most prized assets having only tied him to a new deal last year, and it remains to be seen if Barcelona are able to secure the player’s services this summer.
