Pundit claims Spurs are ‘not bothered’ about clause in Dele Alli’s contract 

Noel Whelan has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur will not be bothered about the reported 25 per cent sell-on clause in Dele Alli’s contract.

Alli would have been hoping to get his career back on track after sealing a move to Everton in January. However, things did not pan out the way the midfielder would have wanted in his first few months at Goodison Park as he struggled to get game time.

The 26-year-old did show glimpses of his quality in the Toffees’ final few games of the season, most notable putting in an impressive second-half display in their 3-2 win over Crystal Palace, a result which guaranteed Everton’s Premier League status.

The Sun reported last week that Everton are planning to sell Alli this summer, with Frank Lampard’s men allegedly wanting £20m for the former MK Dons man.

The report added that Spurs will be owed 25 per cent of the proceeds from the midfielder’s sale as per the arrangement agreed with Everton in January.

However, Whelan believes that the important thing for Tottenham was getting Alli’s salary off their wage bill.

When asked about the 25 per cent sell-on clause, the former Leeds winger told Football Insider: “To be honest with you, at 25 per cent, they’re not bothered. They’ve got him off the wage bill.

“That’s the big factor. A player that is not contributing but still demanding £90,000-100,000-a-week or whatever frees up a lot of money for a club. It was just about getting him off the wage bill and getting him out of the club.

“He wasn’t going to be a key player for them. That’s sad because there is a really good player in Dele Alli. It’s down to the player. It seems to me he’s lost that little bit of edge and that little bit of desire in his game.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Tottenham’s thinking in adding a sell-on clause in the deal would have been that they have sold the midfielder for less than his true value in January.

The club would have hoped to profit if Dele had rediscovered his form and made a big-money move away from Goodison Park in a couple of years. 

However, the 26-year-old has struggled to make much of an impact and so the few million that Spurs will stand to gain this summer if he is sold, is inconsequential.

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