Those who don’t watch lower league football may feel slightly underwhelmed about Newcastle’s potential signing of MK Dons youngster Dele Alli, but fear not his potential is sky high.
The 18-year-old has already made 74 appearances for Karl Robinson’s side and over the past two seasons has established himself as a key player in midfield.
Already this campaign Alli has scored 12 goals in 30 appearances while playing as part of the midfield two in a 4-2-3-1 formation deployed by Robinson.
Many have compared him to Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and while that is an extremely high compliment to pay the youngster, it’s clear to see why.
His impressive passing range, ability to control a game, bursts from midfield and long range shooting are the main aspects of Alli’s game which make him stand out in the League One.
But what is most encouraging for Newcastle fans is how comfortable he looks receiving the ball in the middle of the park. Most young players would panic and lose possession, but not Alli, his composure and technique on the ball sets him apart from the rest of the players in the league.
Of course, with every 18-year-old he still has big improvements to make to his game and while his determination to get stuck in can be seen as a positive, he could do with cutting back on some of the rash tackles which have seen him pick up six yellow cards this season.
Also, his decision making can sometimes be a concern as proven most recently on Saturday as he tried to dribble his way out of defence against Barnsley at stadiummk, but thankfully for him it didn’t end up with the Dons conceding.
He is already MK Dons’ best and most important player which is why they are so keen to ensure he stays with the club as long as possible as well as getting a good fee for him when he does eventually leave.
In the news recently Newcastle have said to be closing in on a deal to sign Alli and then loan him back to the League One side for the rest of the season, which would certainly be the best deal for both clubs.
The Dons need him to help continue their push for promotion to the Championship, while spending the rest of the season in a high flying third tier side would only continue to help Alli improve and come to Newcastle as a better player in the summer rather than stagnating in the reserves.
While on the face of it a deal for Newcastle to sign Dele Alli from MK Dons may not seem the most inspiring, if they pull it off the Toon will be securing one of the country’s brightest prospects.
