Tottenham Hotspur have signed MK Dons' Dele Alli for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £5 million, before loaning the midfielder back to the League One side.

The 18-year-old, who has been with the Dons since the age of ten, joins Spurs on a five-and-a-half year contract and immediately returned to the League One side for the rest of the campaign on loan.

Alli has made a total of 76 appearances for the Dons and scored 20 goals - 12 of which have come this season for Karl Robinson's side.

Looking ahead to his time at White Hart Lane, Alli enthused: “It’s a massive club and I’m really happy to be here.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting all the lads and getting to work with the manager. It’s a dream come true

“I’d love to play for Spurs & at White Hart Lane. It won’t be easy & I’ll have to fight for my place in the team but I’ll work hard to do that.”

 

Speaking to the club's website, Dons boss Robinson commented: “We are immensely proud of Dele. He is one of many young and talented players to have progressed through the youth system here, which proves that the chairman’s vision of providing local children with a step into professional football is paying off. 

“Over the past three years we have handed first-team debuts to Milton Keynes-based players such as George Williams and Brendan Galloway, who are both now playing at a higher level, as well as help the likes of Liverpool’s Sheyi Ojo earn international recognition - Dele is the latest to follow in that path.” 

Alli made his breakthrough at Stadium:MK in 2012 and has gone on to establish himself as an important part of the Dons' midfield since.

And Alli admitted it had been a hard decision to leave his first club: “It was a difficult decision to leave a club that I’ve been with since I was a boy because I’ve loved every minute of my time here. I’m really pleased that I’ve been given the opportunity to come back and finish this season – hopefully I can help us be successful. 

“I’m so excited about taking the next step in my career with a fantastic club like Tottenham Hotspur. It’s going to be a great challenge for me and it’s one that I’m really relishing. For now, though, my focus is solely on MK Dons and this Saturday’s game.”