Barcelona tipped to launch £100m Spurs raid for Dele Alli
Spanish giants are on the lookout for a big name replacement after selling Neymar
Not surprisingly given the riches now at Barcelona's disposal after selling Neymar to PSG for £198m there is all manner of speculation about how they'll spend their fortune.
Philippe Coutinho and Thomas Lemar are two names mentioned over the weekend, but the Sunday Express adds a third one - Tottenham and England star Dele Alli.
The paper claims that Spurs "are bracing themselves for a shock move" from the Spanish giants for their midfield maestro and it's even suggested that they have been tailing Alli for the best part of a year. Although Spurs have made clear they have no intention of selling their star asset the fact remains the club is stretched financially after renovating White Hart Lane, and an eye-watering offer from Barcelona in the region of £100m would be tough to turn down.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In addition, Alli "is well down the pecking order at White Hart Lane when it comes to wages" and the Express says that Barcelona now have the financial firepower to tempt him to making the move to the Camp Nou.
And there's more bad news for Spurs fans in The Sun with the paper's claim that Bayern Munich are "ready to test Tottenham’s mettle" with a £50m bid for England midfielder Eric Dier.
Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti is an admirer of the versatile playmaker and he is preparing to table a huge offer in the next month. Manchester United made a play for the 23-year-old Dier earlier in the summer but that came to nothing. Ancelotti, however, is quietly confident that Tottenham will be persuaded to sell to a non-Premier League club, particularly if an irresistible sum is put on the table.
But is Ancelotti's confidence misplaced? Having already sold Kyle Walker to Manchester City this summer, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is "reluctant to let another star leave" in case it gives the impression they are now little more than a feeder club.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Women are getting their own baseball league again
In the Spotlight The league is on track to debut in 2026
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Giant TVs are becoming the next big retail commodity
Under the Radar Some manufacturers are introducing TVs over 8 feet long
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
When will mortgage rates finally start coming down?
The Explainer Much to potential homebuyers' chagrin, mortgage rates are still elevated
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
The European Super League: a 90th-minute reprieve?
Why everyone's talking about A European court ruling has potentially breathed new life into the breakaway football league
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Mason Greenwood: footballer arrested on suspicion of rape and assault
Speed Read Man Utd confirm the striker will not train or play until further notice
By The Week Staff Published
-
Handball: swapping bikini bottoms for tight pants
Speed Read Women competitors will be required to ‘wear short tight pants with a close fit’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Cristiano Ronaldo’s second coming
Speed Read Last week, Manchester United re-signed the forward on a two-year deal thought to be worth more than £400,000 a week
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Bank holidays and boycotts: are MPs trying to jinx England?
Speed Read Declaring a bank holiday would be ‘tempting fate’, says Boris Johnson
By The Week Staff Published
-
Weightlifting: Olympic Games set for transgender first
Speed Read New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard will make history at Tokyo 2020
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sport shorts: Champions League expansion plan to be agreed
Speed Read News and reactions from the world of sport, featuring Joachim Low and the Lions women’s team
By Mike Starling Published
-
Sport shorts: Sturgeon slams Rangers fans over title celebrations
Speed Read News and reactions from the world of sport, featuring Keely Hodgkinson and Bryson DeChambeau
By Mike Starling Published