Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier has reacted to the rumours surrounding Dele Alli by saying that the only hope of seeing the England star in Madrid is when he is on a holiday. Alli has been increasingly been linked with a move to Real Madrid in the summer. The Spanish giants have reportedly made the 20-year-old as their main transfer target and are even ready to make a bid in excess of £50 million. While the rumours linking Alli with a move to PSG were quickly dismissed, the same has not been happening with Madrid and Spurs fans are concerned about the situation.
Even though chairman Daniel Levy is unlikely to sell the best players at this stage, the prospect of being tempted by another world record offer for the 20-year-old does instil fear. Spurs are finally in a position to challenge for the Premier League title and it has largely been built on the presence of Alli and Harry Kane. While the latter has been linked with a move to Manchester United, it has subsided in recent months following the arrival of Jose Mourinho as the manager.
In a playful questionnaire on Instagram, Dier stated that the only way for Spanish fans to witness Alli in Madrid is when he is on a holiday.
Alli also featured in the video as the Spurs players began to read out messages sent in from viewers, one of whom asked:
“Do you think Dele will go [Real] Madrid?”
But Dier shot back – quick as a flash – “on holiday!”
However, Madrid are not the type of the club where a manager gets to make the transfer decisions. Almost every major signing made by the Spanish outfit are politically motivated, but the chase for Alli seems to have been motivated by sponsorship reasons too. After falling behind Manchester United in the Deloitte football league, Real Madrid are very keen on increasing the club’s finances and one of the quickest ways possible is to ramp up the commercial income. Shirt sponsors Adidas are thought to be keen on Alli coming to the Santiago Bernabeu, a move that would lead to a jump in shirt sales at least for another 18 months before the club in another major asset.
Madrid have an excellent relationship with Spurs as a result of the Luka Modric and Gareth Bale in the past. These two transfers alone have seen the Spanish club give more than £110 million in transfer fees and this relationship might lead to another sale. However, it seems that the entire Tottenham squad remain confident that Alli will remain at the club for a long time.
Incidentally, Spurs are flying to sunny Spain for a few days. It is a well-deserved break from the cold of England, although manager Mauricio Pochettino is unlikely to let the players rest even after a spectacular 2-2 draw with Manchester City.
