Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit casts doubt over Birmingham City, Dele Alli move – It would be “difficult” | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie has told FLW as to whether Dele Alli would slot straight into the Birmingham City starting XI if he made the move to the West Midlands

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie has admitted it would be “difficult” to see ex-Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli slot straight into the Birmingham City starting XI if he was to move to St Andrew’s on a free transfer.

While the summer transfer window may be closed, clubs across the country can, of course, scour the free agent market and pick up any players for a low cost, but it does come with its own risks, given they haven’t been able to find a club up to this point.

One of those players still looking for his next venture is former England international Alli after having his contract at Serie A side Como terminated earlier this summer.

The 29-year-old has failed to hit the promising heights he once had after breaking through at Spurs.

After leaving the North London outfit in 2022, he made 13 appearances for Everton before making a switch overseas to Turkey with Besiktas, playing just 13 league games there too.

He continued his stay abroad by moving to Italy with Como, but he only made one appearance in Serie A, which resulted in a red card 10 minutes into his debut.

This led to manager Cesc Fàbregas banishing him from their training camp this summer, and he has since been released.

With it approaching almost three years since Alli last played 90 minutes in a game, he has now been touted for a move down to the second-tier, with the Daily Mail claiming all of Birmingham, West Brom and Wrexham are interested in securing his services.

With this news in mind, ex-Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has spoken to Football League World about whether Dele Alli would be able to get into the Birmingham City starting 11 immediately after the recent struggles he has suffered in his playing career.

Lee Hendrie admits “difficult” stance over Dele Alli, Birmingham City first XI chances

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie thinks it would be difficult to see Dele Alli break into Birmingham City’s starting XI immediately, believing it would be better to ease him in after the struggles he’s endured over the last few years.

Hendrie told FLW: “I think Dele Alli, at 90 or 100 per cent of his game gets into most sides, doesn’t he?

“I think that’s the difference. You have to look at what his fitness levels are like. Is his head in the right space?

“It would be tough. Top players who have been at the top, playing in better teams and squads, you do think it does get the extra 10% out of players.

“I think it would be tough for him to walk into that Birmingham side because they’ve been one of the better sides in the Championship so far this season, so that would be a difficult one for that to happen.”

Dele Alli would have to bide of his time for starting opportunities at Birmingham City

There’s no doubt that signing someone like Dele Alli would be a huge gamble.

The former England wonderkid has failed to play any regular football over the last three years, struggling with injuries as well as his personal battles off the field.

But there’s no doubt he’s still an immensely talented footballer. He just needs the right environment and support system to help him get his life back on track and to do his talking on the pitch consistently.

In terms of gametime, you would imagine Alli would be starting on the bench for a significant period of time, as the 29-year-old hasn’t undergone any pre-season training and will be desperately lacking in the fitness and sharpness that is required over a relentless Championship campaign.

If he did sign for Blues and made an impact from the small minutes he’d get from the bench, then there might be a case to make him a permanent starter later down the line, but it is certain to be a gradual process given how little football he’s played in the last three years.