Celtic have already been heavily linked with a move for one struggling English midfielder, who has never quite fulfilled his potential, in the form of Ross Barkley. There have been a lot of conflicting reports in the media, with some rumours even claiming that the Hoops have already submitted an offer to bring him in on loan. Could another similar kind of player make sense for the Glasgow giants?
Dele Alli was at one point of time, one of the best players in the Premier League. He had taken the top flight by storm as a teenager, and had a few extraordinary seasons when on top of his game.
According to stats from Transfermarkt, he scored 18 goals and provided 9 assists in 37 Premier League appearances for Tottenham Hotspur in the 2016/17 season. And it was not just a one-off campaign either.
In recent years, Alli has completely lost his way and seems to be on the fringes of an Everton team, that are relegation contenders. Ally McCoist is still open to the idea of him making a move to Scotland.
McCoist makes Alli to Celtic or Rangers claim
While speaking on talkSPORT, and as reported by The Boot Room, McCoist said of Alli potentially moving to the Turkish league:
"“I just think it’s sad, I really do. I think he’s a big disappointment. I mean no disrespect to the Turkish league, it’s not a step down from the top flight in England which is the best league in the world. It’s probably two or three steps down, so it’s a big disappointment.”"
McCoist further added:
"“I really do [Rangers]. I take him all day. He’s completely and utterly lost his way. It’s not easy, don’t think for a minute that it’s easy.“You look at the players who have come to Rangers beforehand, and I’m not saying they’ve struggled, but they haven’t been as much of a success as a lot of people would’ve thought.“And Celtic, it’s a difficult place to play. But if you do play there, it’s a fantastic place to play.”"
There is very little doubt about the kind of talent that Alli is. If he fulfils his potential, he will be one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. And at 26 years of age, there is still time to turn his career around.
Bringing him in would be a big risk for either Celtic or the Rangers, considering how he has done nothing of note over the past several years. A loan move might make sense though, if Everton were covering the majority of his wages, but not a permanent transfer.