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Dele Alli had the footballing world at his feet just a few years ago as his electric form under Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspur made him one of the best attacking talents across the continent.

But now the 26-year-old finds his career in decline, having agreed to join Super Lig outfit Besiktas on loan from Everton in the recent summer transfer window.

Very few homegrown players have pricked the ears of the country and generated such excitement amongst the masses that Alli produced during the early days of his Spurs tenure following his move from MK Dons.

Indeed, the England dynamo provided a resounding 22 goals and 13 assists across 50 appearances throughout the 2016/17 campaign, which led to high praise and comparisons to Premier League greats such as Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

“I’ve got to say that I loved Stevie G as a player and Scholesy but Dele Alli for his age is just a freak of a talent,” ex-Lilywhites man Darren Anderton once claimed.

By 2018, he was valued to be the most expensive midfielder across the planet at €163.4m (£141.7m), according to CIES Football Observatory’s calculations.

But as Jose Mourinho warned, he may soon live to regret his lack of application behind the scenes. Amazon’s series, ‘All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur’ in 2020 caught a candid conversation between the two.

“I am 56 now and yesterday, yesterday I was 20, and today I’m 56, time flies and I think one day I think you will regret if you don’t reach what you can reach.

“I’m not expecting you to be man of the match every game, I’m not expecting you to score goals every game, I want just to tell you that I think you will regret.

“You should demand more from you, not me, demanding more from you, not me, nobody, you, I think you should demand more from you.”

Back in January, chairman Daniel Levy finally sanctioned his departure after several seasons of poor form and dwindling confidence, agreeing on an eye-watering £40m deal with top-flight rivals Everton.

Although the bulk would’ve come through performance-related clauses, it was certainly an extraordinary amount that the Spurs supremo managed to get accepted.

That chapter of his tumultuous recent story lasted a mere six months as he now finds himself in Turkey, playing alongside ex-Tottenham flop Georges-Kevin N’Koudou, who too had bags of potential when arriving at Hotspur Way, only to be shipped out to Besiktas.

Slammed as being “lazy” throughout his career, it’s perhaps little surprise to have seen Alli’s career take such a drastic turn but on the above evidence, it’s fair to argue that Spurs played a blinder when it came to offloading him from their books, having once been on around £100k-per-week.

From world-beater to has-been, it would be surprising to see the 26-year-old bounce back from the depths of Eastern Europe to ever play a part in the Premier League or international stage again, so Levy and co masterminded a pretty remarkable sale indeed.

AND in other news, Conte could already have Spurs’ next Eriksen in 18 y/o gem who’s the “whole package”…

Wolves’ signing of Bruno Jordao simply hasn’t gone to plan and Bruno Lage should ditch the midfielder at the earliest opportunity.

The 23-year-old joined Wolves alongside Pedro Neto from Lazio in 2019 but has failed to have anywhere near the impact of his Portuguese compatriot, making just five appearances for the senior side during his time at Molineux.

Four of Jordao’s appearances came in his first season at the club, primarily in cup competitions, but Lage has not been able to find a place for him in any of his Premier League matches in charge thus far, with his other appearance a five-minute cameo in last season’s FA Cup.

Jordao has also spent time on loan with FC Familicao and Grasshoppers but failed to pull up any trees with either club, contributing just one goal and two assists across a combined 23 appearances with both clubs.

The 23-year-old joined Santa Clara on loan during the summer but is yet to make a single appearance for the Primeira Liga side, which does not bode well for his potential future in the Premier League.

The Portuguese midfielder still has another two years to run on his contract at Molineux and considering his less than impressive form out on loan, Lage must look to sell him at the earliest opportunity, as it seems clear that he isn’t cut out for the Premier League.

In fact, he seems to have regressed in his career, as he was getting game time in Serie A with Lazio as a youngster but now cannot get a game in Portugal with a far weaker side.

Jordao earns £15k-per-week at Wolves and while that is significantly less than some of the Premier League’s top earners, he is still earning far too much at the club to justify keeping him on the bench or playing for the academy sides each week.

Therefore, with another disappointing loan spell seemingly on the cards, Lage must be ruthless and sell Jordao as soon as possible.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has urged Tottenham Hotspur to do everything within their power to keep Antonio Conte at the club, amid reports of Brighton manager Graham Potter being lined up as a possible replacement.

The Lowdown: Potter identified by Spurs

The 52-year-old still has one year remaining on his current contract with the north London giants, but his future has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks after the Italian reportedly offered himself to Paris Saint-Germain, following the news that former Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino looks set to leave the French capital.

According to The Telegraph, it is claimed that the Seagulls coach has been identified as Spurs’ number one target if Conte decides to leave N17 at the end of the season, although they would have to cough up a hefty £10m in compensation should they want to lure Potter away from the south coast.

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The Latest: Keep Conte at the helm, says Robinson

When asked for his thoughts on the Brighton manager potentially making the switch to north London, former Spurs goalkeeper Robinson told Football Insider:

“They have got to keep hold of Conte. I wouldn’t like to see Graham Potter come in.

“Conte is going to get linked with every top job in the world and unless Spurs are in the Champions League it is not going to go away. Spurs need to be competing regularly. They have to fight off the interest in Conte and give him the money.

“I don’t want to think about who the next manager could be because I don’t want Conte to leave. Spurs have one of the best managers in the world right now. Anything from Conte would be a downgrade.

“Potter is a manager who is doing a great job but he is not Antonio Conte. The club can’t go down the route of looking for a lesser manager than what they have got.”

The Verdict: Not enough experience

Potter, who was once hailed an “unbelievable” manager by ex-Brighton player Will Buckley, first made the move to the Amex Stadium from Swansea ahead of the 2019/20 campaign, guiding the Seagulls to their then-highest Premier League points tally (41) during his first season in charge.

Most recently, he led his team to a staggering 4-0 victory over Manchester United at the weekend, and he has done a great job in steering them away from the relegation zone and transforming them into a team pushing for a top-half finish in England’s highest division.

However, if Spurs are looking to appoint someone who could take them to the highest level on the international stage, the 46-year-old hasn’t quite got this kind of experience at the top of the European game yet. Therefore, as Robinson has advocated, it could prove wise to stick with Conte and see what he can achieve with a potentially new squad next term.

In other news… a transfer insider has hinted that a reunion might be on the cards for one Spurs first-team star and his former boss

Everton will host Brentford at Goodison Park this afternoon in one of their final opportunities to save themselves from Premier League relegation this season and now Frank Lampard has been handed a fitness lifeline as two players are set to return to action.

What’s the latest?

The Toffees boss took to his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon to give a positive update on the availability and recovery of both Ben Godfrey and Donny van de Beek.

Lampard told the press (via Liverpool Echo):

“Ben Godfrey is very close, whether he’ll be fit for this squad or not but he’s possibly going to be in the squad. Donny van de Beek is getting closer, we’d like to think he might be involved on Sunday, if not on Thursday.”

Lampard will be excited

Everton have just three games left of the season to save themselves from their first-ever Premier League relegation so Lampard will surely be delighted to have two players returning from injury issues and available for selection over the important upcoming games.

The return of Manchester United loanee Van de Beek will be warmly welcomed as Fabian Delph has sustained a small injury that has left him sidelined for the foreseeable future, so having the Dutch midfielder available for selection over the final games of the season will take the pressure off the Everton boss.

Similarly, Lampard will be relieved to have Ben Godfrey back in the squad and available for selection as Yerry Mina is out with a small calf injury too, with the manager confirming the defender will be out for today’s game and the clash with Crystal Palace next week.

Therefore, having an experienced player available to slot back into the backline will be a big boost for the Merseyside club.

Everton will be given an insight of what they need to achieve against Thomas Frank’s side this afternoon as relegation rivals Burnley will play Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the day and Lampard will hope that whatever the outcome of the game in north London it will motivate his team to take all three points.

AND in other news: Everton plotting bid for £9.9m-rated “monster”, he’s miles better than Holgate…

Crystal Palace are considering staying at a secret location ahead of their clash against Everton on Thursday, according to reliable reporter Sami Mokbel.

The Lowdown: Late-night fireworks

Everton are still at risk of relegation ahead of the Eagles’ trip to Goodison Park, with Toffees supporters doing everything they can off the pitch in recent weeks to try and gain an advantage.

Some fans let off fireworks outside Chelsea’s hotel the night before a 1-0 win earlier this month and did the same for Brentford at the weekend.

It didn’t have the same impact against the Bees, who ran out 3-2 winners on Sunday, but it looks as if Steve Parish and Patrick Vieira have a plan up their sleeve to avoid an early wake-up call.

The Latest: ‘Secret location’

Mokbel, chief football reporter for The Daily Mail, took to Twitter on Monday evening to share an update on Palace’s plans.

He claimed that the Eagles are considering staying at a ‘secret location outside Liverpool’ in a bid to avoid any disruption before Thursday night’s match.

The Verdict: Makes sense

Following the antics from some Everton supporters in recent weeks, it is a wise call that Palace are thinking of staying outside the city in a secret location.

Vieira’s side are sitting comfortably in mid-table, but they can still finish in the top half for the first time since 2014/15 and will be more than keen to take three points on Thursday.

A win would take them ahead of rivals Brighton on goal difference and would give them the chance to finish on 50+ points for the first time ever in the Premier League, so their last away fixture of the current campaign is by no means a dead rubber.

In other news: Palace and Vieira want to capitalise on possible Leeds relegation by signing ‘very special’ star

A Rangers transfer development has emerged on two key Ibrox gems as decisions on their respective futures are imminent heading into the summer window.

What’s the talk?

According to BBC Scotland’s Tom English, Allan McGregor looks on course to retire from the Premiership club upon the expiry of his contract this summer.

He has also claimed that it ‘looks certain’ that Connor Goldson will also be on his way out of Glasgow at the end of the month. Although, it remains to be seen where he will be heading as no clubs have been reported to have agreed on a deal with him.

Gio van Bronckhorst will be deflated

The Gers head coach will surely be left feeling deflated by the prospect of both players leaving the club, with a decision incoming on whether or not they will be extending their terms. English believes that neither of them will and that will leave two big holes to fill in the squad.

McGregor has been the Dutch head coach’s number one throughout the campaign and enjoyed a terrific campaign in Europe. The veteran averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 6.99 in the Europa League as he started 14 matches in the competition.

He was given an opportunity to say goodbye to the fans over the weekend as van Bronckhorst subbed him on towards the end of extra-time in the 2-0 win over Hearts in the final of the Scottish Cup. This means that, whilst it will still be frustrating for the manager, McGregor will be able to leave the club on a high.

Goldson, meanwhile, has been a reliable, outstanding, centre-back for the club this season. He started a whopping 50 matches across the Europa League and Premiership and averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.00 or higher in both competitions.

Van Bronckhorst could rely upon the colossus to be available for the majority of the campaign and his appearance numbers illustrate how much he relied on the Englishman.

The defender delivered consistently brilliant displays for the Ibrox giants over the course of the campaign and this is why the Dutchman will be gutted by the prospect of him leaving as he will not be able to lean on his quality in almost every match.

It will leave Gers chief Ross Wilson with the difficult task of replacing McGregor in the upcoming transfer window along with Goldson if John Souttar is not viewed as his direct replacement.

AND in other news, Enquiry made: Rangers avoided disaster with “annoying” dud whose value dropped £8.4m…

There is something different about a Spanish playmaker. Whether it’s the mesmerising footwork, the fancy technique, the sincere class or the smooth nature of their play, it just hits differently.

Think Juan Mata, Santi Cazorla, David Silva, Andres Iniesta and even former Leeds United hero Pablo Hernandez.

He may not have taken his career right to the very top like some of the aforementioned names but at Elland Road, he found a home for himself in England where he would become synonymous with the Marcelo Bielsa era.

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He is undoubtedly the best player they’ve had at Leeds since the days of Victor Orta, Andrea Radrizzani and Angus Kinnear, and it’s no surprise to see why.

He won three consecutive player of the year awards at the club and took to English football like he owned it.

Hernandez ended his time in Yorkshire with a Championship winner’s medal under his belt, which went nicely alongside his remarkable haul of 36 goals and 41 assists.

He was different gravy during his stint with the Whites. This wasn’t Bisto or Knorr. No, this was M&S’ finest onion gravy, a delectable and eloquent taste that melts in your mouth.

Hernandez’s class and composure on the ball were enough to make grown men and women shriek and marvel at his abilities but they’ve not had anyone of the same calibre since their promotion to the Premier League.

A longer stint in England’s top flight will certainly help but Orta can go a long way to finding his next Hernandez this summer.

That’s because Leeds have been linked with a move for Nottingham Forest hotshot, Brennan Johnson, a young individual who also has the ability to do something special out of nothing.

Described as “magic” by journalist Ethan Lamb, the £18m attacking midfielder certainly lives up to that tag.

He thrived on loan at Lincoln last term where he scored 13 and supplied 14 but he has gone from strength to strength since, registering numbers in the Championship that Leeds’ former Spanish playmaker would be proud of.

On his way to the play-off final, the Welshman has racked up a staggering 19 goals in all competitions while also registering nine assists for his troubles.

The 21-year-old has clearly been a level above this term and you sense a move to someone like Leeds could hinge on whether they earn promotion next Sunday. If they don’t, a move to Elland Road would become a more likely eventuality. Watch this space.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Aaronson: Leeds can sign a new Sancho in “unstoppable” £33m “phenomenon”…

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has offered his verdict on Celtic’s reported interest in striker, Antoine Semenyo.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the respected insider gave his backing to Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops making a move for the 22-year-old, following reports that the Bhoys are interested in bringing the Chelsea-born striker to Celtic Park.

Asked about the prospect of Ange Postecoglou and co making a move for the forward, O’Rourke suggested that he could potentially replicate the club’s former ace, Moussa Dembele: “He’s done well at Bristol City, whether he could have the same impact as Moussa Dembele had when he arrived from Fulham, that’s up for debate because Dembele was a real top signing for Celtic when they did get him.

“He showed that with his goals under Brendan Rodgers that helped them win so many trophies and also played in the Champions League as well. So, I think Semenyo does look a good player, and if Celtic could land him, I think it could be a good piece of business.”

Fellow insider Dean Jones has previously insisted, however, that it would take a “big package” to land the £3.5k-per-week gem this summer, suggesting a fee of around £15m – a figure that would shatter the club’s current record deal.

Dembele 2.0

As O’Rourke suggested, Semenyo – who has recently opted to play for Ghana at international level – could follow in the footsteps of the aforementioned Dembele, with the Frenchman having also arrived in a Glasgow from a Championship side, joining from Fulham in the summer of 2016.

The Lyon ace would prove an instant hit at Parkhead, netting 50 years to net a hat-trick in an Old Firm derby, doing so in a 5-1 thrashing of Rangers in September 2016.

He would go on to score 51 goals and register 18 assists in 94 appearances for the club in total before departing for Ligue 1 on a £19.7m deal, allowing Celtic to rake in a tidy profit having signed the player for a reported compensation fee of around £500k.

Such a bargain buy is out of the question in the case of the Bristol man, although the hope would be that on the pitch he can be equally as devastating, with his form in the most recent campaign illustrating just what an exceptional talent he is.

Dubbed the “perfect all round attacker” by journalist Bill Eshun, the £2.25m-rated speedster has showcased both his goalscoring prowess and his creative talents in the 2021/22 season, netting eight goals and providing 12 assists from his 31 appearances, while also recording an impressive 2.3 shots per game.

Clearly a player keen to make things happen in the final third, the one-time Sunderland loanee also averaged a solid 7.03 match rating, as per SofaScore, with that the fourth-highest among the Robins’ squad.

Nigel Pearson’s side are likely to be keen to keep hold of their prized asset for next term, although should Celtic fork out the cash, Postecoglou can offer the youngster the dangling carrot that is Champions League football.

As Dembele proved, the step up from England’s second tier to the elite level can be more than manageable.

In other news: Ange can land his own Van Dijk as Celtic eye bid for “tremendous” £4.05m-rated machine

Leeds United are on the hunt for a new striker this summer and their search could take them to manager Jesse Marsch’s home country…

What’s the word?

According to Manchester Evening News journalist Conor McGilligan, the Yorkshire outfit are keen on signing New York City FC frontman Valentin Castellanos, and have been looking at him for a while now.

“Leeds are apparently going head over heels for a striker at the minute. He sort of fits the mould, he’s the best striker in the MLS at the minute, looks very complete, Argentinian,” he told the ‘One Leeds Fan Channel’ this week.

“A few links there, apparently, Leeds have been looking at him for a while as well. So yeah, Valentin Castellanos.

“Keep an eye on that name.”

It’s thought that the MLS champions have set an asking price of around £12.8m, as per The Mirror.

Striker desperation

The Whites suffered from multiple problems during their near-fateful 2021/22 campaign, ranging from persistent injury issues to the second-leakiest backline in the top-flight.

Marcelo Bielsa and then Marsch were also pegged back by their troubles in the final third. Patrick Bamford, fresh off a 17-goal season, was absent for the majority of 2021/22 with an array of injuries. He only managed nine games in total, leaving Raphinha and co to take the mantle.

A lack of an alternative almost cost the Yorkshiremen their place in the big time, something they waited nearly two decades for prior to their promotion in 2020.

It’s no wonder Leeds appear to be desperate for another option up top and Castellanos is a very interesting candidate indeed.

His goalscoring record in the US cannot be disputed. He bagged eight assists as NYCFC clinched their first-ever title, with the Argentinian also raking in the Golden Boot.

He has since continued that form this year, delivering 11 goals and five assists across 17 appearances in the MLS and CONCACAF Champions League, taking his total for the American giants to 53 goals and 23 assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Castellanos has been likened to former Chelsea talisman Didier Drogba by MLS UK Show podcaster Henry Hewitt to Manchester Evening News in the past, where he also claimed: “He doesn’t just score one type of goal. He’s strong, quick, good with his head and isn’t afraid to bring his teammates into play.”

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The 23-year-old also outranks Bamford for non-penalty expected goals and shots on target per 90, via FBRef, too.

On the above evidence, it could well be worth the risk to dip into the MLS market to solve Marsch’s problems at Elland Road. After the arrival of Brendan Aaronson and soon, Rasmus Kristensen, a new forward must be the priority.

Castellanos can be the man to end Leeds’ desperation.

AND in other news, Orta can land “the next Declan Rice” as Leeds eye talent who’s “getting rave reviews”…

West Bromwich Albion are working on a deal to sign Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury, according to the Express and Star.

The Lowdown: Choudhury profiled

The 24-year-old is a product of the Foxes academy system having first joined the club aged seven, where he worked his way up through the ranks of the U18s and U23s sides, captaining the latter. He made his senior first-team debut in a Carabao Cup outing against Liverpool back in 2017.

Despite his emergence through the ranks, with just over 12 months remaining on his contract at the King Power, not to mention his lack of game time having only made six top-flight appearances this season, the midfield maestro has been linked with an exit.

And it appears as though the Baggies more than fancy their chances of being able to bring the combative youngster to the Championship this summer.

The Latest: West Brom working on Choudhury deal

In an article published by the Express and Star, it’s claimed that West Brom are currently in the process of ‘trying to secure’ a deal for Choudhury, who has emerged as a ‘prime target’ for manager Steve Bruce.

The source further states that the completion of a loan move to the Hawthorns is the ‘most likely’ option at this moment in time, but it ‘is possible’ he could join on a permanent basis ‘should the clubs agree a fee’.

The Verdict: Decent bit of business

With the Baggies not having much financial freedom at present, Bruce is having to look in both the free agent and loan markets when it comes to completing his transfers, but the former England U21 international might be a decent bit of business, even if it is only temporary.

Even though he’s only played 287 minutes of top-flight football this term, the Leicester starlet, who was once dubbed a “sensational” player by manager Brendan Rodgers, averaged two interceptions, 1.7 clearances and 1.5 tackles per game, via WhoScored, showing his hard work and determination to win back possession for his team in the middle of the park.

This is an asset that would hugely benefit the West Brom starting XI, and with the 61-year-old boss previously trying to sign Choudhury during his reign at Newcastle, it comes as no surprise to see that he is attempting to make another move for his former target, only this time, it might actually prove to be a successful one.

In other news… West Brom are considering a summer move for ‘one of the best’ in the Championship.