As reported by The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur have opened contract talks with one their key performers.

What’s the story?

Dele Alli has had a rapid rise from unknown signing to key player at Spurs and his continuing good form is set to be rewarded with a bumper new contract that could double his wages.

That’s according to The Sun, who report that his current deal of £50k-a-week is set to be doubled through the £100k-a-week barrier to put him on wage parity with the likes of Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris.

The player only signed a new deal last year, but Spurs are keen on rewarding their top performers to fend off interest from teams in England and around Europe, say the paper.

How important is he?

When Dele Alli plays well, Spurs almost certainly do too. He’s an attacking inspiration in Mauricio Pochettino’s team and they simply must keep him around in the coming years if they’re serious about their ambitions to win meaningful silverware.

Last season he scored a sensational 22 goals, also creating 13 assists, in all competitions and there was arguably no-one more important to the Spurs cause outside of Harry Kane.

That’s worth the reported £100k-a-week, especially in today’s market when transfer fees and wages are ballooning. If Tottenham want to have talents like the 21-year-old at the club for years to come, they’ll need to pay the price for it.