Why haven’t Tottenham tried to replicate their Dele Alli success?
England’s Dele Alli during training
Ever since Dele Alli made his Premier League debut, Tottenham Hotspur have been the envy of English football.
Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are teams who each considered signing the midfielder but decided not to gamble.
Spurs paid just £5 million for the midfielder to snap him up from MK Dons, and he has netted at a prolific rate for the club.
The most curious aspect of Alli’s success is that Spurs have not attempted to replicate his success, and have not targeted any players from the lower echelons of the Football League.
Shift in strategy
Instead of trying to sign another Dele Alli, Tottenham have looked abroad to add young talents.
Georges Kevin N’Koudou, Clinton N’Jie and Vincent Janssen have all come in with promising reputations but failed to adjust to English football, at great expense.
Tottenham’s Dele Alli celebrates with Hugo Lloris
Alli is not only a burgeoning superstar, he was also a bargain. Tottenham hardly committed to much by signing him, with the low risk deal carrying no pressure.
Their £30 million move for Moussa Sissoko was a further abandonment of this shrewd strategy and proof Spurs need to go back to the drawing board.
Once in a generation?
There is a case to be made that Alli is a once in a generation talent, who is an exception to every rule.
With Spurs attempting to win the Premier League title, it is tough for any player from the lower leagues to come in and make an impact.
Tottenham’s Dele Alli attempts a spectacular bicycle kick
Yet that does not mean Tottenham should not attempt to do it. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino is one of the best in the game at developing talent, and a couple of low risk additions could have benefitted their squad.
This summer Spurs have to strike a balance between targeting proven talent while trying to also discover the next Dele Alli.
If they can find a player who has half as much success as Alli in his first two seasons, they will have done well.
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