Tottenham want to sell Dele Alli for one simple reason

Tottenham’s desire to sell Dele Alli isn’t a personal conflict between he and Jose Mourinho. He’s simply a man without a position at Spurs. 

The news that Dele Alli may be on his way out at Tottenham has caught Spurs supporters by surprise. The media is keen to push the narrative that Jose Mourinho wants to jettison Dele because of concerns about his work rate or motivation. The simple truth is that Dele doesn’t fit into Tottenham’s current tactical plans.

The Telegraph broke the story that Spurs offered Dele to PSG in the wake of their seismic move for Gareth Bale. Officials at the Premier League club don’t expect to offload Dele this summer, but it’s clear the club aren’t opposed to selling him if they receive the right offer.

Mourinho’s made no secret of his belief that Dele isn’t a good practice player. With that being said, the Portuguese manager has also heaped praise on the attacking midfielder when he’s engaged in brief runs of good form at the club. The two seem to have an intriguing sort of love/hate relationship.

It’s possible that Mourinho has permanently soured on Dele and is ready to offload him as a result. That isn’t the most likely explanation for the club’s decision to listen to offers for the enigmatic midfielder though. The cold, hard truth is that Dele doesn’t have a natural position in the way Mourinho currently sets Tottenham up on a weekly basis.

Dele is at his best when he’s allowed to play as an attacking midfielder who can run in and out of the box with little concern for what’s going on behind him. That doesn’t mean he’s a natural No. 10. Instead, he plays his best when he’s given the freedom to operate as a sort of shadow striker behind Harry Kane.

There’s just no space for that kind of player in any of Mournho’s favorite formations. Tottenham would love to transition to a 4-3-3 once Bale regains full fitness. Playing Kane, Bale and Heung-Min Son in a front three will require the three midfielders to take on serious responsibility on both ends of the pitch. Mourinho might allow one midfielder to operate a bit further forward, but that player will either be Giovani Lo Celso or Tanguy Ndombele. Both are better in defense than Dele is.

Dele isn’t good enough without the ball to justify a place in either of the other midfield spots. That leaves him to compete with the like of Bale, Son, Lucas Moura, Erik Lamela, and Steven Bergwijn for playing time on the wing. Dele has the attacking prowess to play that role effectively, but his lack of pace becomes an issue out wide.

Mourinho, and the club’s, understandable conclusion is that Dele is now surplus to requirements. They won’t sell him for a pittance this summer, but the need to spend money on a top-class centre back or backup striker for Harry Kane makes the idea of selling Dele to the highest bidder intriguing.

Spurs supporters shouldn’t buy into the idea that a dressing room soap opera between Mourinho and Dele is the reason for him being placed on the transfer list. It’s simply a tactical call by the club.