Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Paul Brown of The Daily Star has shared what he believes on the future of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli.

The Lowdown: Alli nightmare...

Since the beginning of last season, life at Spurs for the England international has not been pleasant to say the least.

It seems like an eternity since Alli's astonishing breakthrough Premier League campaign of 2015/2016 yielded 10 goals and nine assists in 28 Premier League starts as a relative unknown (WhoScored).

Stellar 16/17 and 17/18 campaigns followed in terms of goals and assists combined but the 25-year-old has arguably been on an ever-so-slow downward spiral ever since.

Former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho exiled the midfielder over 2020/2021, with Alli starting just seven Premier League games, but his successor in Nuno Espirito Santo was far more generous.

Having attempted to get the best out of Alli, playing him in over half of Spurs' top flight matches, the Portuguese could not revive his form before being sacked.

The arrival of Antonio Conte gifts yet another fresh start for the Tottenham ace but Brown believes he may have just clutched at his last N17 lifeline.

The Latest: Brown makes Alli claim...

Speaking to GMS, the reporter believes that Alli is in fact 'out of time' at Tottenham and under Conte - citing his style of play as a key factor.

"I can’t see a role for Dele Alli. He’s kind of a man out of time. He’s one of those players who made a living on brilliant late runs into the box, the timing of his arrival, he did score a lot of goals through that. But football has changed over the last few years.”

The Verdict: Bang on the money...

Once lauded as 'one of the best in Europe' by former Spurs fan favourite boss Mauricio Pochettino, Alli's trajectory to the fringes of Tottenham's senior squad has been somewhat surprising to watch.

Three years ago, the player was scoring for England in crucial World Cup knockout games but now finds himself at the centre of reports linking him with a Spurs departure.

Newcastle are said to be one of the teams interesting in taking Alli and we believe selling to them, or any interested suitor with the funds available, should certainly be considered by managing director Fabio Paratici at this point.

Tottenham had the chance to let him gain some experience playing with Ligue 1 superstars at Paris-Saint Germain but Daniel Levy refused to sanction the move last January.

If offered that same opportunity again, Spurs may have to weigh his exit as a genuine possibility unless he can perform a stunning U-turn and finally resurrect his Lilywhites career.

In other news: Spurs hold meeting with club chiefs in London as they enter pole position to sign 'crazy' star, find out more here.