Everton midfielder Dele Alli still has a future at Goodison Park after coach Sean Dyche revealed their desire to renegotiate the terms of his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur.
It has been a frustrating 20 months on Merseyside for the 27-year-old who once dazzled the Premier League. Dele is currently sidelined for the foreseeable future after he aggravated an earlier groin injury in training at Finch Farm by breaking one of the stitches from the surgery.
The setback has kept Dele out of action all season after returning to Everton in the summer. Frank Lampard sent the 37-cap England maestro on loan to Besiktas last term. But his run in Istanbul ended in February after a mere 13 appearances after sustaining a hip muscle injury.
What has Dyche said about Dele’s transfer from Tottenham to Everton?
A lack of form before joining Besiktas on loan also held Dele to 13 appearances with Everton following his transfer from Tottenham. Lampard sought the Milton Keynes natives’ signature upon replacing Rafa Benitez in January 2022. But he did not help Dele get back to his best.
Everton would get Lampard’s man after reaching an agreement with Tottenham to sign Dele initially in a free transfer. But the terms of the deal see the Toffees owe £10m after his 20th appearance in royal blue. Performance-related add-ons can even take the value up to £40m.
Dyche, though, has revealed that Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell will look to hold talks with Tottenham about renegotiating Dele’s transfer once he is fit again. The Toffees are in a finically difficult position whilst 777 Partners explores a takeover of the Goodison outfit.
“He is not ready yet,” Dyche said, via quotes by the Daily Mail, in late September. “When he is fit and well I am sure Kev will go to Tottenham and say, ‘Right, how can we make this work for everyone?’. It has never been at that stage, so we have to wait for it.
“He was training with us, warming up and doing the drills, he strikes the ball and is knocked back to square one. It was a real blow to him… It was incredibly frustrating because he was feeling great. He is still a bit away yet, nowhere near training with us.”
Dele still has a future at Goodison Park following Dyche’s revelation
Dyche’s revelation about Thelwell’s plans to speak to Tottenham shows Dele still has a future for Everton. He last played at Goodison Park in August 2022 for his 13th outing since leaving Spurs. Yet his appearances totalled 367 minutes and just one was in Lampard’s starting XI.
Everton will be desperate for Dele to now return to full fitness and for Dyche to help get his career back on track. Joe Cole once lauded Dele as an ‘absolutely outstanding’ footballer at Tottenham. But the Toffees have not yet seen that player take to the field at Goodison Park.
A role may be on offer for Dele in Dyche’s line-up as Everton are mindful of him reaching the 20 appearance threshold. Dyche rebuilding the MK Dons product’s confidence could deliver the maestro Lampard eyed, too. Dele has so far failed to score or lay on an assist with them.
The Premier League was once Dele’s playground as he scored 51 goals and made 37 assists in 181 games for Tottenham. He also scored double-digit hauls in two seasons and recorded double-digits for assists once. But Dele is still only 27, so Dyche may bring those days back.
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