Realistic Expectations for Dele Alli When He Arrives at Tottenham Next Summer

Tottenham were quiet in the January transfer window.

A handful of young players were shuffled around on various loan spells, and Kyle Naughton and Benoit Assou-Ekotto left the club permanently. The only signing at Spurs was an 18-year-old midfielder named Bamidele Alli for £5 million. 

The Milton Keynes Dons Academy product was immediately loaned back to his former club, but he is due to join Spurs at the conclusion of their season. 

Most Spurs fans have probably seen little of their new signing in action, but they have good reason to be excited. 

While a far less polished player, Alli possesses comparable physical tools to Paul Pogba. The Juventus superstar arrived in Italy at the same age Alli will be when he joins Mauricio Pochettino in pre-season.

Dons boss Karl Robinson told the Mirror in January that "he can be as good as he wants to be, he has got everything. He is special."

Tall, strong and composed in possession, Alli has the building blocks to be an excellent Premier League midfielder. Despite his youth, Alli doesn't panic when he comes under pressure. He is adept at turning away from an onrushing tackle and emerging with the ball. 

The Telegraph's chief football writer Henry Winter describes Alli in glowing terms as "a ball-winning, ball-using midfielder."

Given the bad memories evoked by the John Bostock affair at Spurs, it is refreshing to hear Winter describe Alli's drive. "[He] has the self-belief to know his career is developing well, and the hunger to keep it going."

When Alli arrives at Spurs to begin pre-season preparations, he will already have passed his 19th birthday. While still young, Alli will be expecting to compete for a place in Spurs' first team. 

Alli has been likened to Steven Gerrard, but that comparison is often thrown at young English central midfielders. Former Spurs academy player Dean Parrett was once similarly appraised; he now plys his trade with League Two Stevenage. 

It is often difficult for a central midfielder to stand out as a youngster. The qualities required of the role do not often lend themselves to headlines.

Alli's prodigious goalscoring has helped put him on the map. Spurs weren't the only club keen to secure him in January. Premier League sides Aston Villa, Newcastle and Liverpool were all reportedly keen. 

With 13 league goals already, Alli has contributed an astonishing 20 percent of Dons' goals as they charge toward automatic promotion to League One. 

Such a record is very promising. 

More than his goalscoring, Alli is an aggressive tackler (albeit occasionally over-zealous) and an effective passer. He can move the ball quickly out of defence but must shake a tendency to hold on to it unnecessarily.

His vision has been lauded by many that have watched him regularly, but he must trust those instincts more often. 

The fact that Alli has joined Spurs bodes especially well for his future, according to ESPN's Nick Dorrington:

"

Pochettino has established a reputation as a coach who is willing to put his faith in young players -- having done so at both Espanyol and Southampton prior to joining Spurs -- which offers a clear incentive to those coming up through the Tottenham youth system or brought in from elsewhere. If Alli can show that he is up to the task, he will be provided with first-team opportunities.

"

The progress of Ryan Mason and Harry Kane, two youngsters given their chance, suggests that Spurs is now the perfect place for Alli to develop and harness his undeniable talent. Alli told The Telegraph that he is prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to become a top player, "there are a lot of things trying to throw you off track but you have to be dedicated if you want to get to the top."

Pochettino has been largely circumspect in his comments about Alli, but he did concede that "I think he is a very good signing for us," per The Express' Matthew Dunn. His new manager also admitted that "when the time comes for him to come to work with Tottenham he will be ready."

Upon signing, Alli admitted in a rather predictably platitudinous interview with the club's official website that he understood how difficult it would be to break into the first team. "It won’t be easy and I’ll have to fight for my place in the team but I’ll work hard to do that."

15-times capped by England at youth international level, Alli is also eligible to represent Nigeria. John Fashanu has told SL10.ng, via MKWeb, that he will try to convince Alli to switch allegiances. "I sincerely believe in years to come he will be a top prospect and Nigeria, from what I will tell him, will be his best bet at being a global international star.”

If he does opt for the Super Eagles, a March friendly against Bolivia could see him make his full international debut.

This decision would have positive and negative implications for Spurs. He is likely to play more often for Nigeria than England which, as Fashanu suggests, would help his development. The downside of that choice would be African Cup of Nations obligations. 

As Manchester City have found, star midfielders being required to depart midseason for an energy-sapping tournament can be quite detrimental. 

Spurs' midfield is already very crowded. For Alli to break through, he must realistically displace one of Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb. This will prove difficult, and players like Paulinho, Etienne Capoue and Tom Carroll will also be vying for the role. 

Tottenham's newest signing is still a teenager and yet possesses the mix of skills and athleticism that mean he will not be out of place in a Premier League midfield. He will find it difficult to break into the established "engine room" in Pochettino's side but, such is the level of talent that he possesses, a strong pre-season could see him starting on the opening day next season.