Dele Alli has been backed to make an instant impact at Tottenham by his club boss – even though he has never played outside League One.
Alli, 19, was signed by Spurs from MK Dons in January with one eye on the future. Spurs paid £5million for the midfielder before sending him back to Milton Keynes. Alli signed off by helping the club seal promotion to the Championship.
Alli will link up with Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for pre-season training in July and will have to adapt quickly to the step-up in class. Yet MK Dons boss Karl Robinson believes this will not be a problem.
“When you look at that (his stats last season) from an offensive midfield perspective, there are few players around these days who can go and do that,” Robinson told talkSPORT.
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“I just love his mentality – He loves to chat about football and he’s a tremendous kid – He can conduct himself with adults who are double or treble his age.”
Meanwhile, reports in Italy indicate Tottenham are ready to challenge West Ham for Sampdoria midfielder Pedro Obiang. The former Atletico Madrid youngster is a long-term target for the Hammers but they could face competition from Spurs, who are keen to strengthen in the centre of the pitch.
