LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 05: Dele Alli of Tottenham in action during the pre-season match between Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus at Wembley Stadium on August 5, 2017 in London, England.
Barcelona will reportedly move for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli this summer, as they seek to rebuild their squad after the sale of Neymar.
According to Neil Fissler of the Sunday Express, the England international is a target for the Blaugrana, having kept an eye on his development for the previous year.
"The England ace is well down the pecking order at [Spurs] when it comes to wages and Barcelona have the financial muscle that Tottenham cannot match," noted Fissler. "But the Londoners are also keen to prove they are no longer a selling club."
If the Blaugrana want to make a statement in the window, Alli, as one of the most exciting young players in the world, would be it. Per WhoScored.com, the 21-year-old is so prolific from midfield:
Barcelona would benefit from that type of presence at the hub of the team. While the England man isn't a player who will dominate matches, he comes alive in the final third with his cute movement and intelligent passing.
However, you sense it would be extremely difficult to prise Alli away from north London, even for a club of Barca's stature. As noted by Sport Witness, there doesn't appear to be much momentum behind the story in Catalonia either:
Tottenham would be reluctant to entertain any offers, as not only is Alli so important to the team, he's tied down to a long-term contract with Spurs.
At the moment, he's developing superbly under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino, too.
So while Barcelona would be a tempting prospect for any footballer, the England man would surely be reluctant to leave behind a coach who has made such an impact so early in his career.
Everton Lower Ross Barkley Valuation
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MAY 12: Ross Barkley of Everton shows appreciation to the fans as he is subbed off during the Premier League match between Everton and Watford at Goodison Park on May 12, 2017 in Liverpool, England.
Everton have reportedly lowered their valuation of Ross Barkley to £35 million, although Tottenham reportedly remain reluctant to pay that much.
According to Steve Bates of the Sunday Mirror, the Toffees have relaxed their initial valuation of £50 million for the England international, who is poised to leave Goodison Park in this window. "Barkley has been in limbo all summer since rejecting a £120,000-a-week contract to stay at Everton," continued Bates.
"The England midfielder hoped he'd have sorted his future by now with Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal all showing interest." It's noted that Spurs are ready to wait in order to get more value from this potential deal, with chairman Daniel Levy "prepared to play a game of brinkmanship and go to the last day of the window if necessary." Goal's Harry Sherlock believes Tottenham should be doing all they can to secure the signature of Barkley this summer:
While it's difficult to see where Barkley fits into this Tottenham side as things stand, it would be understandable if he wanted to work with Pochettino.
The coach has done wonders for the development of fellow England players like Alli, Harry Kane, Danny Rose and Eric Dier. But given his problems with inconsistency, Barkley needs regular minutes if he's to kick on. At Spurs, it would be a massive challenge for him to force his way into the XI.
"The England ace is well down the pecking order at [Spurs] when it comes to wages and Barcelona have the financial muscle that Tottenham cannot match," noted Fissler. "But the Londoners are also keen to prove they are no longer a selling club."
So while Barcelona would be a tempting prospect for any footballer, the England man would surely be reluctant to leave behind a coach who has made such an impact so early in his career.
According to Steve Bates of the Sunday Mirror, the Toffees have relaxed their initial valuation of £50 million for the England international, who is poised to leave Goodison Park in this window. "Barkley has been in limbo all summer since rejecting a £120,000-a-week contract to stay at Everton," continued Bates.
"The England midfielder hoped he'd have sorted his future by now with Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal all showing interest." It's noted that Spurs are ready to wait in order to get more value from this potential deal, with chairman Daniel Levy "prepared to play a game of brinkmanship and go to the last day of the window if necessary." Goal's Harry Sherlock believes Tottenham should be doing all they can to secure the signature of Barkley this summer:
The coach has done wonders for the development of fellow England players like Alli, Harry Kane, Danny Rose and Eric Dier. But given his problems with inconsistency, Barkley needs regular minutes if he's to kick on. At Spurs, it would be a massive challenge for him to force his way into the XI.
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