Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers made a personal scouting trip to watch MK Dons youngster Dele Alli over the weekend, and reports today suggest that the Reds are now close to signing the youngster.
According to The Mirror:
* Liverpool are 'closing in' on signing 17 year old Alli.
* Brendan Rodgers made a personal check on the youngster during the League One side’s FA Cup draw at Wigan on Saturday.
Dons boss Karl Robinson confirmed Rodgers' attendance at the game, and admitted he'd spoken with Rodgers about some of the club's rising stars.
“I know Brendan quite well and we speak about different players all the time. He was at the game today, but you’ve seen Dele and he’s special. He did bits of magic [and] I’m very proud of his development.”
Some info about Alli:
* 6'2
* 2 goals/2 assists in 17 apps for MK Dons so far.
* Made his debut at age 16 in 2012.
* 9 apps for the England U17 side.
* Top scorer for the U18s last season with 17-goals.
* Signed a three-year professional deal in the summer of 2013.
* Personal motto: "Don't practise until you get it right. Practise until you cant get it wrong".
Alli is very highly thought-of at MK Dons, and in September, Robinson claimed that he is 'one of the best young players in England, and heaped further effusive praise on the youngster. He told the Milton Keynes Citizen:
“I’ve seen him do things in training that I’ve never seen before. I’ve seen nothing like Dele before. The kid will be one of the best. He’s on another planet compared to some other players.”
Newcastle United are also reportedly weighing up a bid for Alli, and like Liverpool, they sent scouts to watch the player in action.
Liverpool are bursting at the seams with young talent, and the arrival of yet another teenager seems, to me, like overkill. However, Alli seems to have great pedigree, and the club lacks - even in the youth ranks - big, tall, combative midfield players, so he would bring something different to the table.
Like Rodgers, Robinson seems prone to effusive, overwrought praise, and he regularly heaps exaggerated praise on the 17-year old. It may be genuine, or he may be trying to raise his eventual transfer fee, which given the fact Alli is English, will probably be massively inflated anyway.
Author: Jaimie K
According to The Mirror:
* Liverpool are 'closing in' on signing 17 year old Alli.
* Brendan Rodgers made a personal check on the youngster during the League One side’s FA Cup draw at Wigan on Saturday.
Dons boss Karl Robinson confirmed Rodgers' attendance at the game, and admitted he'd spoken with Rodgers about some of the club's rising stars.
“I know Brendan quite well and we speak about different players all the time. He was at the game today, but you’ve seen Dele and he’s special. He did bits of magic [and] I’m very proud of his development.”
Some info about Alli:
* 6'2
* 2 goals/2 assists in 17 apps for MK Dons so far.
* Made his debut at age 16 in 2012.
* 9 apps for the England U17 side.
* Top scorer for the U18s last season with 17-goals.
* Signed a three-year professional deal in the summer of 2013.
* Personal motto: "Don't practise until you get it right. Practise until you cant get it wrong".
Alli is very highly thought-of at MK Dons, and in September, Robinson claimed that he is 'one of the best young players in England, and heaped further effusive praise on the youngster. He told the Milton Keynes Citizen:
“I’ve seen him do things in training that I’ve never seen before. I’ve seen nothing like Dele before. The kid will be one of the best. He’s on another planet compared to some other players.”
Newcastle United are also reportedly weighing up a bid for Alli, and like Liverpool, they sent scouts to watch the player in action.
Liverpool are bursting at the seams with young talent, and the arrival of yet another teenager seems, to me, like overkill. However, Alli seems to have great pedigree, and the club lacks - even in the youth ranks - big, tall, combative midfield players, so he would bring something different to the table.
Like Rodgers, Robinson seems prone to effusive, overwrought praise, and he regularly heaps exaggerated praise on the 17-year old. It may be genuine, or he may be trying to raise his eventual transfer fee, which given the fact Alli is English, will probably be massively inflated anyway.
Author: Jaimie K
Rodgers seems to have a tendency to be effusive in his praise, but whether or not that translates to interest is debatable. As we know the upside of buying young is that they have the time to development, the downside, which we are all to familiar with is that they fail to live up to their potential. The most we can say is that Rodgers is aware of the lad, and who knows if such interest will manifest into something concrete, but the fact that we are looking at formative talents is very promising. Bolstering the ranks even at academy level does not necessarily signal a lack of faith in the players already there, but involves bulking up a playing staff with hopefully a quantity of quality which will serve the club well for years to come.
ReplyDeleteI don't care who these kids are because they're not the solution to our current squad problems and if we fail to sign at least 2 or 3 first team players which can have a serious impact then it'll be very difficult for us to be in the Top 4 come May.
ReplyDeleteI can't see any concrete with any player we're being related, but only that who we could've signed on loan are also opting to stay at their clubs and don't want to move at all.
Lets hope we get the right players who can hit the ground running and not the young guns who will take at least 2 or 3 years to develop by which time we might become a feeder club because that's what happens if we don't get into CL the next season when we've one of the best starts in a long time and also a top player in a very top form.
Wouldn't even get a look in up front, it's all well and good signing young strikers but they must know they are never going to compete with Suarez and Sturridge, then there's Borini to come back aswell. Would he be happy in the youth set up when he's getting playing time for this team? I doubt it
ReplyDeleteHe's a CM not a striker, read again!!!
ReplyDeleteCertainly the right size in terms of a commanding figure in midfield, Viera like in his stature. If he has the pace and ability they say he has, then he is worth looking at, 17 years-old and 6ft 2"............... :-)
ReplyDeleteWe need players who can walk straight into the first team but we also need players for the future. You can never have too many promising youngsters coming through as it eases the pressure on our transfer budget in seasons to come. The worst case scenario is we can sell these players who don't quite make it to another club to continue their careers elsewhere so let's not criticise Brendan for having one eye on the future of the club.
ReplyDeleteI forgot who said this but they mentioned how fergie made a lot of money from selling youth players who didn't make it for higher fees. We have done this with Shevely who cost 2 million and went for 5 so these kind of deals can be a win/win for the club.
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense to stockpile prodigous young talent, as they can then play eachother day in day out in training and grow together at once in competitive but friendly environment, rather than slugging it out in a lower league, or just playing in a youth competition, which of low standard.
ReplyDeleteSign him then loan him back to MK Dons for a season and then to a Championship club for another season to aid his development. Then he will be at the right age and should be ready to fight for a first team place.
ReplyDelete