Newcastle United has been touted as a possible destination for out of favour Tottenham ace Dele Alli.
The midfielder wasn’t even in the Spurs squad that lost to Chelsea on Sunday, leading to intense speculation that he could leave before the end of the January transfer window.
And, unsurprisingly, he’s been linked with a move to St James’ Park, much like every other player on the planet.
The Guardian have claimed that Newcastle could turn their attention to the 25-year-old if they fail to sign Jesse Lingard.
The Magpies have been trying desperately to land the Man United man, but it doesn’t look like a deal will happen. So it’s good news that Newcastle have a contingency plan if things go wrong.
And if that is the case and they do try to sign Alli, then they could land a player who could emulate a former Toon captain.
Dele Alli was once an expert goalscoring midfielder, just like Kevin Nolan
In January 2009, Newcastle signed Kevin Nolan from Bolton. While he failed to keep the Magpies in the Premier League that season, he became pivotal after relegation.
Nolan was a key player in the Championship, with his goals from midfield making us somewhat unstoppable en route to the title. Despite not being a striker, Nolan scored 17 Championship goals, and bagged another in the cup.
But he didn’t stop there. The following season, with Newcastle back in the Premier League, he once again hit double figures. Under Chris Hughton and then Alan Pardew, Nolan scored 12 league goals. To hit double figures from midfield in the top flight is an incredible achievement.
It was a testament to Nolan’s movement, always finding himself in the right position.
Those goals made Nolan a Toon hero, and the same could happen to Alli.
While Nolan and Alli are tough to compare in some aspects – Nolan was tough and street smart whereas Alli is flamboyant and daring – their ability to score from deep is similar.
It’s what helped Alli burst onto the scene when he joined Tottenham in 2015. The former England international was even more prolific than Nolan, scoring 18 Premier League goals in the 16/17 campaign. That’s an astonishing amount for someone who isn’t a striker. Most forwards would be buzzing with that tally.
Newcastle move could be ideal
Things have gone south for Alli in recent years. He hasn’t been able to recapture the form he showed under Mauricio Pochettino. Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte have all failed to revitalise the ex-MK Dons man.
That’s why he could leave this week, and Newcastle could be the perfect place for him to rebuild his reputation. It will take a lot of work, and there will be some doubters if he does arrive in the North East.
But we’ve seen in the past how dangerous he can be in the penalty area, especially when he arrives late into the box just like Nolan used to.
And if he celebrates every goal with a chicken dance then even better!
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