Dele Alli very nearly joined Aston Villa before signing for Tottenham in February 2015, according to the Athletic’s David Ornstein.
The midfielder agreed to join Spurs on deadline day of the January 2015 transfer window but returned to League One side MK Dons on loan for the remainder of the season. He has since made 200 appearances for Tottenham, scoring 58 goals.
But Ornstein, who is among the most reliable football journalists in the country, claims things could have turned out very differently. Alli apparently visited Aston Villa’s training ground the day before he signed for Spurs.
Villa were said to be willing to make Alli the focal point of the team and pay him around £20,000 per week, which is thought to be more than Tottenham were paying young players at the time. The 23-year-old is now one of Spurs’ highest earners.
Ornstein also purports that Mauricio Pochettino was the driving force behind Alli’s signature. It is fitting that the Argentine turned Alli into one of the best players in the country.
Alli’s development now continues under Jose Mourinho, who appears to be getting the best out of the goalscoring midfielder once again.