Liverpool have set sights on 17 year old MK Dons midfielder Dele Alli but will have to fight off interest from Arsenal who are also extremely keen on the starlet.
Alli who made his League 1 debut last weekend has impressed throughout the youth ranks at MK Dons, which has resulted in him earning call ups for England U16s and U17s.
At 6,2 ft he’s a very robust midfielder who posses tremendous vision which enables him to pick out a pass from anywhere. Furthermore his fearsome long range shot has also earned him comparisons with Liverpool’s very own Steven Gerrard by his manager Karl Robinson who stated following Alli’s first start and goal in the FA Cup last season that Alli is the Steven Gerrard of MK Dons and he’s sure the youngster has a bright future ahead of him.
However Alli now has a tough decision to make in regards to his future and one that could be the turning point in his career; either remain at his current club where he’ll be guaranteed to get regular football or make the step-up to Premiership football.
In the long run he’s definitely destined for the latter, however at 17 he might well be better of playing regular football in the third tier of English football, hence why Liverpool are prepared to loan the youngster back to MK Dons once they capture his services.
If Alli was to make the move to Merseyside he’ll be greeted by a familiar face in his former teammate Sheyi Ojo who signed from MK Dons to Liverpool only a couple of years ago, and is understood to be still in close touch with Alli who he knows very well since they’ve been playing alongside each other at the Dons Academy ranks for years. Therefore Ojo could be the key to convincing Alli to join Liverpool over the other host of Premier League outfits all looking to snap up the teenager.
He’ll also be lured by Liverpool due to their extremely strong Academy and Brendan Rodgers’s willingness to give youth a go, with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Andre Wisdom, Jordon Ibe and Suso all enjoying run outs for the first team since the Northern Irishman took charge of the Reds. Therefore Alli will know that if he’s good enough he’ll be given his chance to shine, which is something that he may not be guaranteed elsewhere at the likes of Chelsea or even Arsenal who have opted to play their more experienced players over their talented youngsters in recent years.
Finally Alli is set to be in action tonight for MK Dons in the Capital One Cup against Northampton, which will provide Liverpool fans with the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the exciting midfielder.
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