Aston Villa and Everton have been tipped to make a surprise swoop to sign Tottenham and England midfielder Dele Alli this summer.
The former MK Dons’ star’s future has been under the microscope from day one of Jose Mourinho’s arrival in north London. Despite a bright start under the Portuguese, Alli has rarely been used this season and has often missed out on the matchday squad all together.
Indeed, the 25-year-old has started only two Premier League this term, However, he did feature more regularly in the Europa League before Spurs’ shock exit to Dinamo Zagreb last month.
PSG, with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, tried to bring Alli to Paris in January but Daniel Levy refused to play ball.
But it looks increasingly likely that Tottenham will cut their losses on the player this summer, if the right offer comes in.
Alli has scored 50 goals in 165 Premier League appearances since joining Spurs in 2015. To that end, there is a strong belief that he still has plenty to offer, despite his slump in form.
And former Premier League striker Dean Windass believes Villa are one of two clubs who should be in the market for Alli this summer.
“I think Everton or Aston Villa, one of those teams where he then becomes a big fish in a small pond again,” Windass told Transfer Tavern.
“At the minute he’s a small fish in a big pond.
“The kid needs to be playing to get back into the England squad. Gareth will be on the phone saying ‘I think you’re a great player, but you need to be playing your club football.'”
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Villa set to splash the cash
Villa boss Dean Smith is expected to be handed significant funds to bolster his squad this summer. Cash will be made available due to Smith guiding the club to mid-table security after their troubles last term.
Attacking players are expected to be his main focus, especially given that Ross Barkley will return to Chelsea this summer.
As for the Toffees, it’s difficult to see where Alli fits in at Goodison Park.
Richarlison plays the support role to main striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, while James Rodriguez and Gylfi Sigurdsson also tend to feature in the attacking midfield role that Alli mainly thrives in.
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