“If Spurs are clever”: Clive Allen explains why Tottenham need to move 24-year-old on

Former Tottenham striker Clive Allen has suggested the club must let Dele Alli leave in order to rediscover his confidence.

Alli has been substituted at half-time in three of his four starts for Spurs so far this season after seemingly falling out of favour with Jose Mourinho. The midfielder looked particularly out of sorts on Thursday night as he was hooked at the break once again in the Europa League defeat to Royal Antwerp.

With his place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for this summer’s European Championships now seriously under threat, Alli has been linked with a loan move away with Paris Saint-Germain among his reported suitors (via the Telegraph) during the recently-closed transfer window.

And Allen believes the 24-year-old should be allowed to leave, if only temporarily.

“If Spurs are clever they might well loan him to a team where he could start to find form, which he needs, because he’s desperately short of confidence,” Allen told talkSPORT.

“He was very sloppy last night.

“I think he probably has to move away from Spurs for a while to try and rediscover the doubted talent he has.

“He’s an incredible player, he has been for Spurs, but I think now you’re looking at a move for him.

“You can’t keep being substituted at half-time in that manner and not expect something to happen.”

It’s difficult to see Alli playing his way back into Mourinho’s good books when he is given so few opportunities to prove his worth. With that in mind, perhaps a loan move in January would be the best outcome for all parties.