Kevin Phillips says Dele Alli might be tired of playing for Tottenham and wants a new challenge.
The midfielder has been struggling with poor form over the last few seasons and increased game time in this campaign has still not brought out the best in him.
Alli was in stunning form when he first burst onto the scene for Spurs in 2015 and kept that momentum for the next four years.
However, he has been poor since the 2019/2020 season and doesn’t look like he will return to his best anytime soon.
Former Sunderland star, Phillips insists his talent is clear to see, but the England international no longer plays with a smile on his face.
He admits Tottenham fans will not want to lose the midfielder, but it might be best for him to change clubs so that he can reignite his career.
He suggests that this might be the thinking of the midfielder as he struggles to justify his first-team place on the pitch.
Phillips told Football Insider: “I don’t think he’s been the same player for the last couple of seasons, I have to be honest.
“In my own personal opinion, I don’t think Tottenham fans would want to see him leave.
“But I think it might be that time where he needs a fresh challenge to get the best out of Dele Alli.
“For me, when he plays, he never looks happy. I never see that smile on his face. He’s got his shoulders up, his chest out.
“Maybe a fresh challenge, you’d have to ask the player. There’s certainly a talent there.
“When you are Dele Alli and you’re not performing, things aren’t going well, ultimately you are going to come in for criticism.
“Harry Kane did earlier in the season when he wasn’t scoring goals.
“Part of me thinks maybe he feels a fresh challenge, a new club, might just reignite his career. Get him back to where he was a couple of seasons ago.”