Sunday 8 January 2017 15:38, UK
Rumours linking Dele Alli to Barcelona and Real Madrid will only die down if Tottenham win the Premier League, according to the Sunday Supplement panel.
Six goals in Alli's last three league games have helped Spurs move up to third, although they remain seven points behind leaders Chelsea despite beating them 2-0 on Wednesday.
Reports in the national newspapers suggest Barcelona and Real are keen to bring the 20-year-old over to Spain, but will have to fork out £70m for the England international.
And having signed Alli for £5m from MK Dons in 2015, the Daily Mail's Martin Samuel believes Spurs must start winning silverware to keep the midfielder at White Hart Lane.
"He's a wonderful player. The thing is the Barcelona links and the Real Madrid links will continue until Tottenham are a title-winning team," said Samuel.
"At the moment Tottenham haven't won the title since 1961. Any good player that comes through at Spurs, who are a selling club, people look at as if they would be gettable and they might have to leave Tottenham to win the league.
"That is what has to change. Once Tottenham win the league it will be perceived as easier to keep these players."
Following their victory over Chelsea last week Spurs sit third in the Premier League table seven points behind Antonio Conte's side.
And Samuel thinks it is too big a gap for Mauricio Pochettino's side to claw back.
"I'm not sure it [Spurs winning the title] will happen this season," Samuel added.
"I think they are very, very good but seven points is a lot to make up. A lot has got to go wrong with Chelsea and not enough looks to be going wrong with Chelsea."
A breakthrough season in 2015-16 saw Alli pick up the PFA Young Player of the Year award, while his performances have quickly seen him become an England regular.
Alli's double over Chelsea saw him move to 20 league goals in just 52 appearances since the start of last season, becoming the second quickest English midfielder to do so, behind Matt Le Tissier (50 games).
The Sun's Charlie Wyett says Alli's talent was spotted from an early age, with Spurs among a number of clubs keen to snap up the MK Dons academy graduate.
"Even when he was at MK Dons there was interest," said Wyett. "Not necessarily from Barcelona but certainly Bayern and a few of the other big European clubs were watching him then.
"Liverpool and Tottenham were the ones that really showed an interest. It went a bit strange at Liverpool because Brendan Rodgers was really keen to sign him and he went to Tottenham where he's developing and he's flourishing.
"I still don't think we've seen the best of him but of course he's still young."
