What’s the story
With the likes of Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets getting on in years, Barcelona have been scouting out for fresh legs to take the reins in the centre of the pitch. If reports coming in from The Express(via Spanish outlet Diario Gol), are to be believed, none other than the fatcats of the Catalan giants, Lionel Messi and Neymar, want Tottenham superstar Dele Alli’s services secured at Nou Camp.
In case you didn’t know...
Alli has had a top season in the Premier League with the Spurs. The 21-year-old exerted great influence at White Hart Lane in the 2016-17 campaign and is one of the brightest prospects in English football at the moment.
Barcelona have been also linked with Guangzhou Evergrande’s Paulinho but at 28 years of age, he is none too exciting a prospect for the Nou Camp faithful to be enraptured by.
The heart of the matter
It has been a summer of unsolicited peace and quiet at Nou Camp with no major signings announced yet. But the quietude may yet be disrupted as Barcelona are reportedly in the market for a midfielder with the likes of Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets entering the autumn of their careers.
Messi and Neymar are believed to be at odds with the management as they seem disgruntled by the club’s pursuit of Guangzhou’s Paulinho. The Brazilian, at 28 years of age hardly resembles a long-term panacea for their Kafkaesque situation in central midfield.
Alli, in what was another enthralling season for him, picked up 18 goals and 7 assists in 36 appearances in the 2016/17 Premier League. The PFA Young Player Of The Year for two years running has burgeoned into an indispensable part of Tottenham’s recent form and has a keen eye for creating goals and scoring them. His presence has contributed greatly to the two Golden Boots that Harry Kane bagged in the last two Premier League seasons.
A creative playmaker with a pair of quick feet and a penchant for scoring spectacular goals, Dele Alli is one of the players Mauricio Pochettino will be looking to for attaining better returns even in Europe’s elite competition. Alli has not ruled out the possibility of moving away from England when he said it is important to enjoy the journey whether or not he retires at Tottenham or leaves before that.
Paulinho, who Barca have been linked with for a while, has also expressed his interest in joining them but his bosses at the club are not willing to sell him. The Chinese club, who are the reigning champions in the league, are not intending on seeing one of their best players abandon ship halfway through the season.
The Brazilian, who has had a good season so far, has 11 goals from 25 appearances and had earned himself a recall to the Brazil national team. With his impressive showings, he helped Brazil qualify for the World Cup Finals to be conducted in Russia next year. But the ex-Spurs man may yet lose out on the biggest opportunity he has had in his life if the Chinese club turns their back on the €20 million offered by Barca.
Also read: 5 long-term replacements for Sergio Busquets that Barcelona should look at
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Author’s Take
Dele Alli will be a top signing for Barcelona, no questions asked. Yet to reach his prime, the blossoming English talent may have great things to offer to the world of football. Signing Alli will be a surefire way to get the NouCamp faithful excited ahead of the new La Liga season. With Messi, Neymar and Suarez up ahead of him, Alli will have the freedom to put his tact and skill to a purpose and reap rewards both for the club and himself in Spain.
While Diario Gol gets it spot on with transfer deals from time to time, they have a penchant for coming up with the most outrageous transfer rumours occasionally. So it is advised that the readers take this news with a pinch of salt.
Also read: Alves urges Verratti to snub Barcelona for PSG stay
