Speaking after Tottenham’s 5-2 win against Southampton this afternoon, Jose Mourinho dodged a question when quizzed on whether Dele Alli would remain with the north London outfit.
The Portuguese boss instead decided to stress that he requires a ‘balanced squad’, admitting that the attacking midfielder could be a part of this, reiterating that Dele doesn’t ‘need to be sacrificed’.
Mourinho rounded off with ‘a squad is a squad’ comment, choosing to remain coy on the out-of-form England international’s future at the club.
Dele was left out of the matchday squad for today’s emphatic comeback win against the Saints, with the Telegraph reporting that Spurs have already opened transfer talks with Paris Saint-Germain for the ace.
Jose Mourinho refused to confirm whether or not Dele Alli will be leaving Tottenham… pic.twitter.com/erqHa7UUFI
— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) September 20, 2020
The Telegraph add that it’s unclear whether the Parisians are exploring a loan or permanent move for the 24-year-old.
Dele set the Premier League alight with some fine performances when he first arrived, but the ace has looked very inconsistent over the last two campaigns.
The attacker, who likes to latch on to balls over the top, often cruises through matches for all the wrong reasons, with Dele drifting out of important fixtures far too easily.
Mourinho’s use of the ‘balanced squad’ point suggests that the 57-year-old may be looking to strengthen Spurs in defence or midfield.