An update has emerged on Newcastle United's pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli...

What's the talk?

According to the Northern Echo, the Magpies' chances of landing the England international in January have diminished, with there now being an expectation that he will remain at Spurs until next summer.

The report claims that Newcastle previously viewed him as a realistic transfer target due to his lack of game time, but they could now abort their plans to sign him.

Save NUFC's season

Nick Hammond has been appointed as a short-term transfer consultant for the club and he must now use his expertise to secure a deal for Alli in January.

He needs to convince Tottenham to part ways with him and then make sure that he is able to offer him a suitable package to go along with whatever pitch Eddie Howe produces to tempt him into making the switch.

The former Reading chief could save Newcastle's season by doing this, as Alli has previously shown that he has the quality to be a difference-maker at this level.

In 266 games for Spurs, he has produced 67 goals and 61 assists. This includes 51 strikes and 37 assists in 180 Premier League matches. The 25-year-old has proven himself in the top-flight of English football and, therefore, would surely come in and provide a lift to the Magpies.

Ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino previously handed him high praise by comparing him to two footballing icons. He said:

"You smell Maradona's energy, his charisma is amazing.
"Ronaldinho at Paris Saint-Germain was similar. And it’s similar with Dele. People love him in this way. When you add the charisma to the talent, that’s what makes a special player. When he was scoring goals, kids loved him like he was Ronaldinho.
"Kids feel this charisma, this energy, and with Dele it’s the same; he has this charisma that kids love and follow." The £100k-per-week dynamo, who was previously dubbed a "freak" of a talent by Darren Anderton, has enjoyed four seasons scoring eight or more goals in the Premier League in his career. Last term, Callum Wilson (12) was the only Newcastle player to find the back of the net more than eight times. Howe's side are 19th in the table after 18 matches and have only picked up one win all season. This shows how dire the situation is and why Alli's goals and assists could be crucial for them, as he could come in and pop up with match-winning contributions that win vital points in the battle against relegation. That is why Hammond can save Newcastle's Premier League season by working hard to complete a deal for Dele, whether that is by getting Spurs or the player himself to push for it to happen.

AND in other news, Sissoko 2.0: Howe could unearth a new beast for NUFC in "extraordinary" 6ft1 machine...