Is Lionel Messi behind latest Tottenham Hotspur transfer reports?

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Tottenham’s Dele Alli is a target for Barcelona. Is Lionel Messi pulling the strings?

Catalan newspaper SPORT reported this week that Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli has emerged as a top transfer target for Barcelona.

Barcelona failed to sign Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool in the summer despite offering hefty sums of money, and are still laden with cash after selling Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain.

The potential deal for Alli would cost Barcelona big, but they may be prepared to stump up the cash.

Especially when one of the drivers behind the potential transfer is rumoured to be Lionel Messi.

Spanish outlet Don Balon reported in the summer that Dele Alli was Messi’s preference to Coutinho all along, as he is an admirer of the Tottenham and England star.

Barcelona pushed ahead to try and sign Coutinho anyway, but having missed out, they appear ready to follow Messi’s transfer advice.

Coutinho is more of a creator than Alli, but the Tottenham midfielder is a far more accomplished goalscorer.

This would help relieve some of the burden on Messi, especially as he enters his 30s.

The prospect of selling Alli has garnered a mixed response from Tottenham fans, with some claiming they would be ready to cash in if the money was right.

But if Lionel Messi wants Alli at Barcelona, that alone suggests Tottenham would be making a big error in letting him leave, no matter the money on offer.