Yahoo News Dele Alli told to ‘change his position’ if he wants to stay at Tottenham
Former Tottenham and Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes Dele Alli has to ‘change his position’ if he is to get back into the Spurs team.
The England international was left out of the Tottenham squad for the second time in a week as Spurs beat Southampton 5-2 at St Mary’s Stadium on Sunday .
French champions Paris-Saint Germain have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, and Jose Mourinho was non-committal in his post-match press conference when asked whether the midfielder would still be at the club once the transfer window closes .
"I'm not responsible for the market," the Spurs manager said when asked about Dele's future.
"The only thing I can say is that I left eight players behind. They stayed and trained this morning because they are a big group and Dele is amongst these players. You could see our team. I cannot start with all of them and I cannot have a bench without defenders or midfielders.
"In the same way the squad is a puzzle, the bench is also a little puzzle. So to have on the bench Toby and Serge, and Moussa and Gio, and Lamela, and Bergwijn. I cannot have on the bench four wingers or three wingers and a No.10, and then no defenders. Everything is a puzzle so in these matches that he stayed out, probably Tuesday he will play and others he will stay out.”
Mourinho added: "I want a balanced squad, that's what I want. Yes, [he can be part of that]. Nom he doesn't need to be sacrificed, but the squad is a puzzle."
If Alli is struggling to get into the team now, the challenge will only get tougher once new recruit Gareth Bale regains match fitness, while Tanguy Ndombele’s resurgence has only added extra competition for places.
And speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day 2 on Sunday night, Murphy said Alli must adjust his game to remain at the club.
“I think he's got to change his position,” said Murphy, who made 22 appearances for Spurs in a short stint with the club between 2006 and 2007.
“He used to love playing in that No10 role - but not too many teams in the Premier League now play with a No10.
“[His new position] might be deeper, it might be off the wing and coming inside and getting into those No10 positions from there.
“But playing as a No10... he's not going to get into that team.”
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