Match made in hell: PIF could be about to make their first Newcastle transfer blunder – Our View

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According to TeamTalk, Newcastle United want to sign Dele Alli in January, and, in our view, this signing could backfire.

The Magpies apparently want a loan with an option to buy, and that could be a bad move for the Tyneside club.

Let’s not beat around the bush, Newcastle are staring relegation in the face, and they need reinforcements in January who are going to be willing to come in and fight for the club, and there’s reason to believe that Alli isn’t the right fit.

Newcastle need players who will work hard for the badge and try to get the Magpies out of the bottom three, so why are they going for Alli – a player who has infamously been labelled as ‘lazy’ by Jose Mourinho in the past?

Alli is luxury player. When he’s surrounded by stars such as Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son he can shine, especially when he’s given a free role, but in Eddie Howe’s team he won’t get that.

The likelihood is that Alli will have to play alongside some bang average players if he came to Newcastle, and the Magpies’ most effective escape route may be via playing pragmatic football and getting everyone on the same page.

Alli isn’t that type of player. He’s not one to track back and put his body on the line and he’s certainly not a player who steps up when the chips are down.

The 25-year-old has been described as moody in the past when things haven’t been going right at Spurs, while Nuno Espirito Santo reportedly told him he has to stop sulking during his time at the club.

Does that sound like the type of player who is well-equipped for a relegation battle?

Yes, Alli can produce moments of absolute brilliance, and perhaps in two or three years’ time, he’d be an excellent signing for Newcastle once they’re more established as a mid-table or a top-half Premier League side.

However, with Newcastle staring relegation in the face, the Magpies need players who will dig deep and help the club claw their way out of the bottom three, and in that respect, Alli isn’t their man.

Alli isn’t a bad footballer, and in the right environment he’d be absolutely fantastic, but, in our view, there are few clubs in England less well-suited to his profile than Newcastle right now.