Mauricio Pochettino reveals Sir Alex Ferguson ‘wanted Manchester United to pay £100 million for Dele Alli’ after legendary Red Devils boss praised the midfielder’s meteoric rise to Spurs
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Mauricio Pochettino has revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson once told him that Manchester United would pay Tottenham £100 million for Dele Alli.
The now Chelsea manager was previously in charge of Spurs between 2014 and 2019, helping the club back to the top four of the Premier League, along with a Champions League final.
However, he was also celebrated for his ability to bring new talent into the team and oversaw the meteoric rise of Alli, who went from unknown midfielder to one of England’s top flight’s most respected playmakers.
Alli, now at Everton, spoke in a recent interview of shocking childhood issues he’d struggled with throughout his professional career after seeing his promising career stall.
Pochettino has maintained a close relationship with his former star and has explained how Alli’s scintillating form at Tottenham once led to Ferguson giving him a £100 million price tag.
Mauricio Pochettino (left) has revealed that Manchester United were once interested in Dele Alli (right)
Pochettino explained that Sir Alex Ferguson (pictured) previously wanted Man United to pay £100 million for Alli (right)
“When he came over from Milton Keynes to Spurs he was still a kid,” Pochettino told the club Athletic.
“We built a relationship and step by step you could see the evolution of how he became his best, one of the best players in the Premier League.
“I always remember Sir Alex Ferguson saying to me, ‘I’ll sign him for £100 million’, and that was when £100 million was £100 million, like £200 million or £300 million now.
“The interview was tough because it hasn’t been that long since he was on top,” he added.
Alli played for Tottenham after joining the club and has been hailed as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League
Alli is now trying to revive his career at Everton after a difficult few years
Alli’s stunning start to his Premier League career saw him become a regular in the Tottenham first-team and was later honored with the PFA’s Young Player of the Year award for his performances in the 2015–16 season.
He was later called up to England’s 2018 World Cup squad, where the Three Lions reached the semi-finals before falling to Gareth Southgate and Alli’s career began to spiral downward.
A switch to the Ligue 1 giant Paris Saint-Germain was also previously suggested after Pochettino took over the French team, but that ultimately failed to materialize.
Alli left Spurs on a permanent contract in January last year before being loaned out to Turkish side Besiktas, eventually returning to Goodison Park at the start of the summer.
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