Kevin Phillips has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur could use Dele Alli as a makeweight in a deal to sign Jordan Pickford from Everton.
Hugo Lloris is now into the final year of his contract at Spurs and, with the Frenchman turning 35 next month, it remains to be seen whether the club will offer him a new contract.
The Telegraph have reported that Antonio Conte is eyeing up Pickford as a potential candidate to succeed Lloris. The Italian allegedly wants a homegrown goalkeeper either to take over as number one or to compete with the French international.
Meanwhile, there has also been speculation over Dele Alli’s future over recent weeks, with the midfielder being linked with a January exit from the club.
Antonio Conte has opened the door for Alli to stake a place in Tottenham’s starting eleven but it remains to be seen whether the former MK Dons man can force his way into the side.
When asked about Spurs’ pursuit of Pickford, Phillips told Football Insider: “Alli could be used as part of that deal.
“That is something the board and powers that be have probably discussed.
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“For me, Dele Alli’s time at Tottenham is up. I have said that for a while now. Even with Conte coming in, I think his time is up.
“The style of play and intensity Conte wants is not suited to Alli’s game. I cannot see him playing much.
“He could be included in part of the deal for Pickford and that could be what gets it over the line.
“I think Conte wants Jordan because of his distribution. It’s exceptional at times. He can ping it with that left foot and drop it straight into centre-forwards.
“Everton could do with an attacking midfielder. It will be interesting to see how that one unfolds.”
Spurs Web Opinion
While Dele does cover a lot of ground and is a fantastic athlete, I suspect he is not direct enough in possession to win Conte over. I feel like Lo Celso and Ndombele both have a better chance of getting into the starting eleven than the England international. So, I would not be surprised if the 25-year-old is sold in January.
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