:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57875229/886156580.jpg.0.jpg)
Dele Alli has a new agent. After a months-long courtship, Tottenham’s 21-year old star has signed a deal with sporting agency CAA Sports to represent him. Dele moved on from his previous manager Rob Segal earlier in the year and had been represented in the interim by his best friend Harry Hickford. CAA Sports is also the agency that represents Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, Bayern Munich’s James Rodriguez, and Dele’s Spurs teammate Harry Kane.
“I’m delighted to join CAA at this important time in my career,” Alli said in a release from CAA Sports. “I’m excited for the future working alongside them. It was clear from the start that this is a company that can help me maximise my potential off the field.”
Alli had been represented by Segal since his days playing for MK Dons, but Dele was looking to increase his commercial value as his star has risen dramatically the past few years. He was heavily courted by all manner of superstar agents including Jorge Mendes and Mino Raiola, but it perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise that he signed with the agency that represents his friend and teammate Kane.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was previously asked about Dele’s representation, and while Poch said that he wasn’t involved in helping him, he stressed the importance of finding someone who Dele can trust.
“It’s important to find a trusted person that can help you to be better every day and help in all the business.
“In the past, it was completely different. Today the players are products with a lot of things happening around them. They need people that look after them because the business is so big today around the players.”
I don’t know a whole lot about sports representation, but this strikes me as probably a good decision. CAA was probably talked up a lot by Kane, who seems to be well-represented himself. With Dele still a very young player, it’s important that he has an agency that will enhance his brand and maximize his profits, but still keep his feet on the ground. Sharing an agent with Kane will probably help with that.