Dele Alli deserves improved salary and contract - Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino believes Dele Alli fully deserves the new contract that will keep him at White Hart Lane until 2021 as he prepares his squad for a top-of-the-table clash with Leicester at White Hart Lane.
Alli has been among Spurs' best performers this season since completing a B#5million move from MK Dons, and he is the Barclays Premier League's leading scorer from midfield with five goals in 18 appearances.
The 19-year-old's outstanding form has resulted in selection by England in November, just three months after making his debut in the top flight.
"It's very good news for us and for him," Pochettino said. "After the last six months, Dele deserves to improve his salary and his contract.
"He has achieved the level of the team-mates and now he is an international and plays regularly in first team. He deserves all he takes now.
"All the players are important. Dele is important too, but for me the most important thing is the collective, the squad, the spirit.
"When you have a very good player with enough quality to play, you can achieve what you want. The most important thing is that players like Dele are here and they show commitment with the club."
Pochettino is also gladdened by Harry Kane's declaration that he wants to stay at Tottenham despite reported interest from Real Madrid and Manchester United.
"Harry wanting to stay is very important. Harry feels very good here and is very happy," he said. "In football anything can happen, but Harry is very happy with us. We are really happy and very pleased he is with us."
Pochettino admitted would like to reinforce his forward options during the transfer window but will remain happy if he must continue to rely on Kane.
"There have been a lot of rumours about us form the beginning of the season. Our supporters need to understand we are in a project that is different from other clubs," he said.
"It's true maybe that Harry Kane is a proper striker, not only him, but we have different players in the second line who can help him and also play in his position."
Tottenham are hoping midfielders Ryan Mason and Mousa Dembele will be fit to face the Foxes after missing Sunday's 2-2 FA Cup draw with ankle injures, but Clinton Njie (knee) and Alex Pritchard (ankle) are struggling.
Leicester's top-scorer Jamie Vardy is facing a race against time to be fit for the trip, having had a minor groin operation earlier this month which forced him to miss the weekend's cup tie.
He did some light training on Monday morning, after a warm up, away from the main squad as boss Claudio Ranieri nurses him back to health.
The Foxes head back to White Hart Lane on Wednesday for their Barclays Premier League clash and Ranieri admitted he will give England man Vardy every chance to be fit.
He said: "He is getting better, on Monday he made the warm up with the team and then he had a different job. On Tuesday I'll check. I think he could be available. The little problem he had with the little operation is done and he can run normally without any problem.
"Jamie had a problem for a month, more or less, and he continued to play. Now without the problem is much better. I'll see if he starts from the beginning, if he is ready to come with me on the bench. Every time he wants to play, I know him."
Vardy, the league's 15-goal joint top scorer, has also played with an ankle injury and a broken wrist this season to help guide the Foxes to second in the table.
They return to league action on Wednesday after Ranieri made eight changes to his side for their Cup game against Spurs, including giving new B#3.75million winger Demarai Gray a debut after his move from Birmingham.
"He wasn't 100 per cent but as a 19-year-old, having only had four training sessions with us, in his first match against a Premier League team, he was outstanding. He had a chance to score and worked hard," Ranieri said.
Jeff Schlupp remains out with a hamstring injury and Ranieri is set to again make changes to the Foxes.
"It's completely different because we will change the players. Every player changes something. Tottenham will be stronger but we are ready to play our football," he added.
"I have to check everybody, on Tuesday we have another training session. Then I'll check and decide the first XI."
Source: PAR
