Lionel Messi has demanded that Barcelona beat Real Madrid to the signing of Dele Alli, according to Don Balon.
Madrid are understood to be keen admirers of the 21-year-old who has impressed over the last three seasons in England’s top division.
Alli is seen around Europe as the best midfielder in the world under the age of 22 and is being courted by many of Europe’s elite.
Messi’s demand
The Argentine has demanded that Barcelona go out and sign Tottenham’s Dele Alli.
After his incredible performance against Real Madrid, in which he netted a brace, Alli’s stock around Europe has risen.
The 21-year-old, in his first Champions League appearance of the season, helped to demolish the reigning champions catching the eye of Messi.
Madrid have shown an interest in signing the Tottenham man for a few months, but it seems that they may well be facing some competition from Spanish rivals Barca.
Perfect signing
At the tender age of just 21-years-old, Barcelona see Alli as a perfect signing with a number of their key players beginning to age.
Alli has demonstrated ever since his £5m move from MK Dons that he is capable of playing at the very highest level.
The attacking midfielder has managed an incredible 64 goals and assists in 109 appearances for the club.
Last season, Alli scored 18 league goals – more than Eden Hazard, Neymar and Antoine Griezmann all managed in their retrospective divisions.
Iniesta-Rakatic replacement
With the likes of Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic both significantly ageing, the club are looking for replacements.
This along with the departure of Neymar over the summer means that the Catalan giants are looking to make a marquee signing.
Alli would be the type of calibre player that they would hope for, but they have their eyes also set on Paulo Dybala, Phillipe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann.