‘On his way’: Paul Merson says Tottenham player will leave after Conte call v Watford

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Paul Merson has claimed that Dele Alli will now leave Tottenham after Antonio Conte didn’t play him during their 1-0 win at Watford on Saturday, as he told Sky Sports News (01/01/22 at 5:10 pm).

Even though Spurs recorded a late 1-0 win against the Hornets, Merson felt after the match that Conte ‘had to bring him on’ because of his goal threat.

For the second game running, Conte’s side would have felt that they were heading to another draw on the road.

But Davinson Sanchez glanced in a very late, yet valuable header to secure all the points for his side.

Whilst the likes Harry Winks, Giovani Lo Celso and Bryan Gil were brought onto the pitch by Conte in the second half, Alli remained warming the substitutes bench.

This is what Merson had to say about Alli during yesterday’s win and then after the full-time whistle.

Midway through the second half: “If he doesn’t get on here, then you would think he would be on his way in January,” said Merson. “He can’t get a game here.

After Conte made all three subs: “I think I have more chance of playing for Tottenham today than Dele Alli.

“He will probably go during the January window, that’s up to Dele Alli if he wants to go.

“But you had to bring him on. They were searching for a goal. There had to be something different. You want a midfield player that’s going to bomb into the box.”

It has been written on the wall for some while now that Alli needs to leave Spurs after years of stagnation.

With Conte being appointed Spurs boss, it just allowed the Englishman another fresh start, but once again, it doesn’t seem to have lasted long.

The January transfer window is open and Alli’s name is probably on the lips of most Spurs supporters that he will probably be the first one out of the doors.

It’s just a question of does he want to leave? Will Spurs need to sell players like Alli in order to bring others in? And who will want to sign him up because he would be risky for many teams across Europe given his recent slide?