Liverpool backed out of a deal for Dele Alli, according to Ian Ayre.
Ex-Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre
Former Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre has been quoted by Sky Sports as saying that the Reds didn’t sign Dele Alli from Milton Keynes Dons as the demands of the deal were excessive.
Alli, 21, joined Tottenham from MK Dons in January 2015, and whilst he had emerged as one of English football’s top young prospects with 24 goals in 88 games for the Dons, few could have predicted his Premier League success.
The midfielder racked up ten goals and nine assists in his first Premier League campaign last season, and he was rewarded with a place in the England squad at Euro 2016 last summer.
This term, Alli has kicked on again, notching a stunning 16 goals and five assists for Tottenham whilst becoming one of the world’s most in-demand young players.
As reported by BBC Sport upon signing for Spurs, Alli cost Tottenham just £5million, and it would now cost close to 20 times that amount to tempt chairman Daniel Levy into a sale.
Tottenham’s Dele Alli celebrates scoring
Many opposition fans are wondering just why their clubs didn’t move to sign Alli before Tottenham landed him, with Liverpool one club often criticised for not signing a player who grew up supporting the Reds.
Alli, as noted by Sky Sports, visited Melwood and looked to be closing in on a move to Anfield, only for that deal to fall through and him end up shooting to stardom with Tottenham.
Tottenham’s Dele Alli celebrates scoring
Now, former Liverpool manager director Ian Ayre has been quoted as saying that Liverpool did want to sign Alli, but the demands of the deal – whether that be the transfer fee or Alli’s personal terms – meant Liverpool backed away, in a move that they must now regret massively.
“There was interest in the player, but where it got to was that the demands at that time were not fitting to what he had achieved at that point,” said Ayre. “We didn’t feel the player matched that demand. It’s easy to sit and say ‘look what you could have bought’, but how many players could you apply the reverse of that to? That’s the truth,” he added.
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