Barcelona are said to be preparing a midfield for Tottenham Hotspur sensation Dele Alli, with talisman Lionel Messi said to be an admirer.
Alli, 21, has become one of the highest rated youngsters in the world with consistent performances in the Premier League since his breakout season in 2015/16.
And now, Diario Gol claim that Barcelona could come calling for the youngster. It is said that Messi is an admirer of Alli. The Argentinean apparently wants the young Englishman as a long-term successor to Andres Iniesta’s cowl.
Iniesta, a World Cup winner, turns 34 this May. The midfield maestro recently signed a lifetime contract to keep him at Barcelona. However, there are doubts over how long he can perform at the top level.
End of an era?
Messi is said to have asked Barcelona to do their utmost to land the former MK Dons player.
Alli rose to prominence with a stunning 2015/16 season, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award. It led him to be part of England’s doomed Euro 2016 campaign.
He built on that season with an even better 2016/17 campaign, scoring 18 goals. Alli was the top scoring midfielder in the Premier League, and won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for a second season in succession. Tottenham finished 2nd, beating their best ever finish in the Premier League, which too came in Alli’s first season.
However, with Spurs’ inability to compete for trophies consistently, the midfielder could want a move on. The North London club are in the midst of a 10-year silverware drought.
Alli has developed leaps and bounds in the past 2 years
Barcelona have started this season in stunning fashion, and are unbeaten in the La Liga up till the winter break. They have also secured progression to the Champions League knockouts seamlessly, finishing atop their group which included last season’s runners-up Juventus.
It has not been that smooth sailing for Alli and Spurs though. They have endured a rocky start domestically, and sit 6th in the league currently. However, they have not let their domestic woes affect them continentally, as they upset all odds to finish atop Group H with 16 points, in a group that included European champions Real Madrid and German giants Borussia Dortmund
They will next take on bottom of the table Swansea City on Tuesday night.
Author’s Take –
Alli would represent a huge coup for Barcelona. He is undoubtedly one of the hottest prospects in the world, and would be a long-term successor to Iniesta. The youngster would certainly add a lot of goals to Barcelona’s midfield.
However, with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, negotiating is always extremely tricky. The Catalans can expect to pay an exorbitant fee to land his signature, one that could be in the nine figures.
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