Tottenham urge midfielder Dele Alli to fight for place, club against loan move

  /  autty

Tottenham have told Dele Alli to fight for his place and are expected to resist a loan approach for him in the winter transfer window.

Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing Alli following failed attempts to sign him on loan in the summer.

Reports on Sunday suggest Tottenham will grant a permanent move but would consider a six-month loan.

However, club sources have told Sky Sports News they do not want the midfielder to leave on loan.

Alli, 24, has scored two goals in his eight appearances this season but has not started a Premier League game since the home defeat to Everton on the opening weekend of the season.

His last top-flight appearance was as a substitute in the 6-1 win at Manchester United more than two months ago.

Alli was an unused substitute in Thursday's 2-0 Europa League win over Royal Antwerp and briefly departed down the tunnel when it became apparent he was not going to get on the pitch before returning several minutes later towards the end of the game.

Afterwards Jose Mourinho was forced to defend his player's action. "Let's not run away from the reality, a player on the bench who realises with five changes he is not one of them, of course he is not a happy player and I wouldn't expect him to be," said the Spurs boss.

"But every player who is on the bench, or leaves the pitch in cold weather with me, they can go to the dressing room and I even prefer if that happened."

Alli, who reached double figures for goals in his first three seasons in the Premier League following his move from MK Dons in 2015, is yet to make his position clear.

Related: Tottenham Hotspur Alli
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