Newcastle United have reportedly called off their pursuit of Dele Alli despite Tottenham being open to the midfielder’s departure.
According to Football Insider, Newcastle United have ended their pursuit of Dele Alli as Eddie Howe prioritises signings in other areas of the pitch, notably in defence. Spurs are still open to letting the midfielder leave the club in January, either on loan or permanently.
Dele Alli’s career as a Spurs player has been on a steep decline in recent years. Having played his best football under former manager Mauricio Pochettino, the attacking midfielder has failed to replicate those performances under Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo.
Despite being reportedly considered expendable by new manager Antonio Conte, Alli started and starred in the draw against Liverpool recently. There were suggestions after the game that Spurs might change their stance over him. However, that may not be the case after all, as Tottenham are still actively looking to offload him either in January or next summer.
Newcastle United have been linked with a move for the England international for some time. The Magpies are fighting a relegation battle sitting in 19th position. Their name has been mentioned alongside many other top-quality stars recently, owing to their newfound riches thanks to the deep pockets of their new owners.
There had been reports of interest from West Ham United as well, with pundits suggesting Alli could have an impact similar to Jesse Lingard’s from last January. However, from a financial standpoint, the Magpies will have the upper hand over the Hammers, although from the recent report, Howe is prepared to back away from any potential offer.
Newcastle’s priority is to bring in players in defence and central midfield. Alli is considered an attacking player, something Howe is not too keen on signing in January. In fact, they are interested in signing Joe Rodon, who is Alli’s teammate at Tottenham, to improve their backline.
They are linked with other defensive stars in the market, including Sven Botman from Lille, who is understood to be close to a move. There could be other names on the list as Howe understands the challenge in convincing players to join a side favourite to be relegated at the end of the season.
Yet, the manager feels someone like Alli may not help their survival cause and feels his current needs may outweigh the need to bring star names in the next window. As for Alli, he could have plenty of options in the next window to leave Tottenham, something he might take up.
