Player profile: MK Dons midfielder Dele Alli

Dele Alli could be set for a move to Newcastle United. Credit: PA

By Will Grant-Brook

Wednesday brought confirmation from MK Dons manager Karl Robinson that a number of clubs have enquired about star midfielder Dele Alli. Newcastle United are leading the chase for the 18-year-old, though any deal concluded in the final days of the January transfer window would see Alli return on loan to Stadium:mk for the remainder of the season.

After breaking through and securing a starting central midfield berth in the League One side last year, 6ft2 Alli has improved dramatically, turning into one of the most promising youth prospects in the country. The England Under-19 star's technical ability should ensure he is not out of his depth if he were to progress to the Premier League, while his pace and size could see him prove to be a thorn in many a top teams' side. He has also added goals to his defensive prowess and ball-playing ability, scoring 12 this year. He could be the perfect fit for this Newcastle team - especially if Moussa Sissoko leaves before the start of next season, as is strongly rumoured.

His performance against Manchester United increased interest in him. Credit: PA

Alli has been on the radar of a number of big clubs since making his debut for The Dons, with even European giants Bayern Munich casting their eye over him on several occasions. An impressive performance in MK Dons famous 4-0 win over Manchester United in the second round of the Capital One Cup only served to increase the fervour around him. Alli is a life-long Liverpool fan and with his hero Steven Gerrard leaving Anfield in the summer, many tipped the midfielder to step into the vacant place. It seems, however, the Magpies have gazumped all other competitors - at some expense - with the deal reported to bring in over £4million for the Midlands club.

Alli hopes to emulate his hero Steven Gerrard. Credit: PA

Team-mates have compared Alli to numerous top-flight midfielders including childhood hero Gerrard and Manchester City pair Fernandinho and Yaya Toure. The differing qualities of those three illustrate Alli's diverse talents but also a recognition that he is not a fully-formed player yet at the tender age of 18. Despite this, his promise seems to be enough to have convinced Newcastle's chief scout Graham Carr and the club's hierarchy to spend the money to realise Alli from his contract at MK Dons, which runs until 2017, as part of the club’s new policy to buy younger players in the hope of a future profit. Should the deal go through as predicted before the transfer window shuts on Monday, both clubs will feel they have done good business and Alli will have the chance his talent demands.