What’s the story?
Former Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp has heaped praise on Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli and is of the opinion that the midfielder is worth £100 million, more than Manchester United’s Paul Pogba.
The Red Devils re-signed Pogba from Juventus for a world-record fee of £89.3 million last summer, however, Redknapp believes Alli’s meteoric rise at White Hart Lane at a very young age has put him ahead of the United midfielder.
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The manager also questioned the scouts of the top clubs for failing to identify the England international’s potential when he was at his former club, MK Dons.
“I think he’s fantastic. Can you tell me how all those scouts failed to spot him when he was playing for MK Dons every week? How did they end up waiting until Tottenham came in for him? It’s incredible that no-one took him. What a player, what a signing — what a steal at £5m,” Redknapp said.
“I think he’s worth £100m now – if Pogba’s worth £90m, Alli is worth more. He’s just 20 years of age, for heaven’s sake, the kid’s got everything.”
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The north London club signed Alli from MK Dons in January 2015 and spent the remainder of the season on-loan at his former club. Since making the switch to White Hart Lane, he has been a regular in the starting lineup.
Alli has been Tottenham’s star player this season and is the second-leading goal scorer for his club after Harry Kane. The 20-year-old has scored 11 goals in the Premier League, out of which three have come against Chelsea and two against Manchester City.
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He is proving to be a big game player, and his impressive form for the club has seen him become a regular for the England national team as well.
Alli, a boyhood Liverpool fan, came close to clinching a move to the Anfield club. However, the Reds’ failure to agree a deal with MK Dons allowed Tottenham to step in.
The heart of the matter
Pogba won four league titles during his four years with Juventus and reached the Champions League final with the Old Lady, only to lose at the hands of eventual winners Barcelona, two years ago.
After his switch to United, though, the Frenchman struggled to adapt to life in England. He has, however, found his feet recently, and has put in solid performances in the middle of the park.
Alli, meanwhile, started to impress for Tottenham last season and has better stats than Pogba in the Premier League. The Frenchman has four goals and three assists to his name in the league compared to Alli’s 11 goals and is yet to impress against a top team.
What’s next?
Alli should focus on improving the defensive side of his game in order to truly become a world-class talent. At 20 years of age, he has time on his side. Tottenham will face an uphill task in keeping him at the club, though, if he continues to shine for them.
Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Manchester United could all try to persuade him to leave White Hart Lane in the future.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Alli has the potential to become an exceptional player. In time, he could take over from Wayne Rooney as skipper of the English national team. Right now, he should look to continue his development at Tottenham instead of seeking a move to greener pastures.
