Tottenham will allow Dele Alli to leave the club during the winter transfer window, with a loan deal looking the most likely option, according to reports.

Midfielder Alli, 25, has struggled for game time under Antonio Conte since his arrival, despite enjoying a good start to the season with Nuno Espirito Santo in charge.

And the decision has now been made to let him exit the north London club and bring an end to his frustrating spell next month, according to The Athletic.

He has started just five Premier League matches this campaign, with all of them coming under Nuno, and Conte is open to allowing him to move on.

Having now steadied his new side’s form in their bid to qualify for the Champions League, manager Conte will set about shaping his squad over the coming weeks.

Alli is strongly expected to be part of this culling. Chairman Daniel Levy would, of course, prefer to bank a handsome transfer fee but a loan switch is possible.

For a temporary move, an obligation or option to buy could be included in the deal.

During Jose Mourinho’s rollercoaster reign, Alli lost his place in the team and was referred to as the ‘f****** lazy guy in training’ during the club’s Amazon documentary.

He was unable, however, to secure a loan move away despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain, who, in an intriguing twist, are now coached by Mauricio Pochettino.

Under Conte, Alli has made one start, which came in the embarrassing Europa Conference League defeat by NK Mura – a loss which raised doubts over his future.

Otherwise, the playmaker’s other sporadic appearances have come from the bench.

In light of this, Levy has now changed his stance on Alli, and his willingness to let the player leave is also shared by managing director of football Fabio Paratici.

The same report adds that there is a ‘recognition’ that increased game time at another club would only aid Alli’s attempts to get his career back on track.

Currently, the only real stumbling block is the fee that Tottenham would want, with Alli tied down until June 2024, making a loan the most ‘realistic’ way out for him.

Alli reached double figures for goals in his first three seasons with Tottenham, having joined from MK Dons in 2015 and gone on to become a regular for club and country.

But his frustrating dips in form have frozen him out for England. His last cap for them came in 2019, during the Nations League third-place play-off clash with Switzerland.