Deli Alli could become a distraction for Tottenham

Dele Alli could become the face of Tottenham Hotspur and the Premier League, but he could also be a distraction if his aim is to become bigger than Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli has “it.” Fans, analysts and observers often pontificate about this “it” without actually ever defining the entity. As it pertains to Alli, the 21-year-old is a marketer’s dream footballer, a young man capable of creating highlight-reel moments and one seemingly willing to fully embrace the celebrity that comes with being the face of a Champions League side or a national team.

England supporters likely and understandably see Alli as a future superstar hopefully capable of leading the Three Lions to glory on world football’s biggest stage. Remember that Alli is not a finished product, as he has not yet entered his physical or footballing prime. The contributions he has made to Tottenham and England will ideally pale in comparison to what he will offer both club and country down the road.

Alli can also be a frustrating and polarizing figure. American sports fans may compare him to National Football League personality Odell Beckham Jr. Like the New York Giants wide receiver, Alli has a tendency of letting his emotions get the best of him while on the pitch. Alli is currently unable to feature for Spurs in Champions League fixtures because of his temper.

Also like Beckham, Alli possesses both the goods to rescue those around him from negative results and a history of disappearing when Spurs need him at his best. Outside of the team’s season opener versus Newcastle United, a match that must feel as if it occurred a year ago for passionate Tottenham fans yearning to see their beloved club notch a league victory at home before thoughts of examining Christmas lists enter their heads, Alli has been rather pedestrian while wearing Lilywhite over the past month.

Every player, even the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, is allowed to experience the occasional off night. That’s not what is occurring with Alli as the final official days of summer fade into the twilight. His lack of production isn’t the result of poor effort or limited desire. Alli is merely missing something, whether it’s clinical finishing or confidence, that’s preventing him from being the impact player Tottenham need him to be at Wembley.

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It’s possible these disappearing acts would be more forgivable if stories about Alli yearning to put pen to paper on another contract extension didn’t pop up a day after Tottenham’s latest winless affair at home. Granted, those of us who don’t personally know the young man or his representatives can say, with any certainty, anything about the accuracy of these reports, but there’s probably at least a little fire causing this smoke.

Nobody should blame Alli for wanting to look out for No. 1 and understand what he would be worth on the open market. Unlike an athlete such as Beckham who plays in a league that restricts how much a player can earn in guaranteed cash per season, Alli could be on the cusp of signing a historic deal with one of the giants of world football if he chooses to pursue life away from North London sooner rather than later.

Alli allegedly chasing dollar signs is not, on its own, all that big a deal, but his resume is quickly becoming filled with stories that have nothing to do with him hitting the back of the net or assisting counterparts in scoring. Such issues are quickly forgotten whenever a team is winning, but spotlights on these types of stories only get brighter whenever a side is struggling to obtain maximum points. That’s the nature of sports.

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Victories solve all that plagues a team. A lack of them coupled with Alli continuing to disappoint during home league contests could inevitably lead to some interesting and inevitable conversations about his future at Tottenham regardless of what chairman Daniel Levy or manager Mauricio Pochettino would ideally have happen with his career path.