Football
Ben Pearce, Tottenham correspondent 7y

Tottenham must keep team together for next season - Dele Alli

Dele Alli says it is important that Tottenham's players stay at the club and keep improving together as a group.

Second-placed Spurs finished their Premier League campaign with 86 points -- a tally that would have won the title in four of the past eight seasons -- while they scored the most goals (86) and conceded the least (26).

For Alli, that is ample evidence that the North Londoners' existing group is capable of challenging strongly again next term, without the need for major investment.

"With the players we've got here, we don't need to go out and spend loads of money," Alli said. "It's a good bunch of boys. Everyone's determined and working hard and there's a lot of quality in this team -- I think you can see that with the amount of goals we've been scoring.

"It's important that we stick together as a team and keep working hard and keep improving together as a team. We've just got to take our form into next season and start even stronger, and then if we can finish the way we have this season then we should be OK.

"It's a great place to be and everyone's determined to work for this manager and for the team, so it's good."

Alli's words will be encouraging for Spurs fans who fear he could be coveted by richer rivals this summer after another superb season on a personal level. Having contributed 10 goals and 12 assists in all competitions for his club in 2015-16, the 21-year-old has scored 22 times and set up a further nine for Tottenham this term.

That is particularly impressive given he had a slow start, only scoring three times before December.

"I don't want to give anything away but I've had to think a lot more about my movement," said Alli. "Maybe last year the other teams weren't used to me running in behind and weren't expecting it, whereas this season they've got a little bit more used to it.

"I've had to time things like that a little bit better and, moving off defenders, I've got to be a little bit sharper with that and try to judge the ball a little bit better.

"I think at the start of the season I struggled a little bit in the first few games, because maybe I didn't expect [opposition] players to be that used to me, so I had to change my game a bit. I started getting a little bit higher and getting a few more goals.

"It's been a positive season for me but I've just got to make sure I keep working hard, and I've still got to work on things and make sure next season's even better.

"The aim is definitely to be more clinical again. I want to help the team out as much as I can, and if I can get as many goals and assists as possible, that's what I want to be doing. I've got to try to up my numbers again."

Alli is one of three Spurs players, along with Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, who have scored 20 goals or more in all competitions this season -- the first time that has ever been achieved at Tottenham.

"It's important to have more than just one player that's scoring goals," he said. "I think we've been scoring goals from all across the field this season, and hopefully [that will continue] next season as well.

"There are defenders chipping in with goals, and midfielders as well. It's important if you want to be up there challenging that there's more than just one or two.

"We all look to help each other out. We're all working for the team and if one person's having an off game then there's more players in the team, or even on the bench, who can make a difference."

One of Tottenham's main targets next season will be to make a bigger impact in the Champions League, having crashed out of in the group stage this term.

"It was a disappointing season for us in the Champions League this year but it's a great chance to learn," said Alli. "For a lot of us, it was our first time playing in the Champions League. We need to make sure next season we start the Champions League strongly and get as many points as we can."

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