By Olly Allen

18th Dec, 2021 | 7:30am

West Ham want to sign Dele Alli if Jesse Lingard transfer falls through

West Ham are keeping a close eye on Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli, according to Eurosport.

The Athletic reported on Monday (13 December) that the 25-year-old would be available to leave north London in the January transfer window, most likely on loan.

Despite winning his place back in the Spurs team at the start of the season under Nuno Espirito Santo, Alli does not seem to be in the plans of Antonio Conte.

Eurosport claim that the Hammers and Newcastle United are considering a move for him, but both clubs see him as second choice to Jesse Lingard.

Fabrizio Romano made a fresh claim earlier this week (13 December) that the two clubs were set to battle it out for the Manchester United midfielder.

Point to prove

Alli’s situation is very similar to Lingard’s, in the fact that he is a once promising England international now out of favour at one of the traditional ‘big six’ Premier League teams.

Of course West Ham are currently above both Tottenham and Manchester United in the table, so neither player could argue that a move to the London Stadium would be a step down.

There is no getting away from the fact that Alli’s career has taken a nosedive in recent years, but he undoubtedly has talent.

Interim Spurs manager Ryan Mason brought the midfielder back into the team at the end of last season and praised his “excellent” performance in a 2-0 win over Wolves.

Alli has a point to prove and will surely want to get back into the England setup and West Ham could reap the rewards of that attitude just as they did with Lingard last season.

Lingard would still be their first choice after his successful loan spell, but Alli is not a bad alternative at all.

In other West Ham news, a Hammers targeted has opened up about his future and hinted at a move.

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