Mauricio Pochettino has revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson once told him that Manchester United would pay Tottenham £100million for Dele Alli.
The now-Chelsea manager was in charge of Spurs between 2014 and 2019 and helped lead the club back into the Premier League’s top four along with a Champions League final.
He was also celebrated for his ability to bleed new talents into the team and oversaw the meteoric rise of Alli who went from being an unknown midfielder to one of the English top-flight’s most coveted playmakers.
Alli, now at Everton, recently opened up on shocking childhood issues that he had struggled with throughout his professional career after seeing his promising career stall.
Pochettino has maintained a close relationship with his former star and has explained how Alli’s scintillating form at Tottenham once led to Ferguson labelling him with a £100m price tag.
Mauricio Pochettino (left) has revealed Manchester United were once interested in Dele Alli (right)
Pochettino explained Sir Alex Ferguson (pictured) previously wanted Man United to pay £100m for Alli (right)
‘When he arrived (at Spurs) from Milton Keynes, he was a kid,’ Pochettino told the Athletic.
‘We built a relationship and then step by step you could see the evolution of how he got to be his best, to be one of the best players in the Premier League.
‘I always remember Sir Alex Ferguson saying to me ‘I will sign him for £100 million’ and that was when £100million was £100million, like £200million or £300million now.
‘The interview was tough because it’s not too many years ago that he was at the top.’
Alli’s stunning start to his Premier League career saw him become a Tottenham first-team regular and later honoured with the PFA’s Young Player of the Year award for his performances in the 2015-16 campaign.
He was then called up to England’s 2018 World Cup squad where the Three Lions made it to the semi-finals before crashing out under Gareth Southgate and Alli’s career began to tail off.
A move to Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain was also previously mooted after Pochettino took over the French side but eventually failed to materialise.
Alli left Spurs on a permanent deal in January last year before being loaned out to Turkish side Besiktas and eventually returning to Everton at the start of the summer.
Alli starred for Tottenham after joining the club and was hailed as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League
Alli is now attempting to revive his career at Everton following a difficult few years
