Paul Merson says ‘make or break’ time for Dele Alli at Everton
Paul Merson feels that Everton have taken a big gamble by signing Dele Alli from Tottenham Hotspur.
Having already signed Anwar El Ghazi and Donny van de Beek on loan, Everton had no other option but to sign Alli on a permanent deal in January.
The Toffees didn’t pay a penny to secure his signing but there are clauses in his contract, and if fulfilled, the deal could rise up to £40m (The Mirror).
Merson feels that Alli ticks all the boxes, and he could become a Premier League star at Everton under Lampard.
“This is a gamble of a signing and if it doesn’t work, Frank Lampard will get some criticism. But if it does work, there will be a lot of Premier League managers out there scratching their heads wondering why didn’t take the chance,” Merson wrote for SportsKeeda.
“There’s only one Dele Alli – no one else in England plays like him. Everton will reap massive rewards if this works out. I like the confidence from Frank Lampard – he knows he can make Dele Alli a better player.
“This is a signing that ticks all boxes for me. Dele Alli is 26 years old, and this is a real make-or-break situation for him. With Frank Lampard in charge, he could potentially become an absolute Premier League star at Everton and get back to what he was at Spurs.”
Gamble
Merson is absolutely spot on here. Gamble. That’s the best word to describe the move.
It’s a gamble taken by the club, but it’s a calculated risk. The England midfielder was supposed to become a world-beater and he was heading in that direction under Mauricio Pochettino.
Unfortunately, he has regressed in the last couple of seasons, and doubts remain whether he can at all recapture his old form.
Can he set his focus back on training and let football do the talking for him?
In terms of raw talent, there are very few who can match his quality. But he has become sort of an uncut-diamond, and that’s why there’s a lot of scepticism around him.
Frank Lampard is an ideal mentor for him. Lampard, one of the best midfielders of his generation, will be able to sharpen Alli’s strengths and hopefully, can help him rediscover his old form.
If he turns out to be a big flop, then Lampard will obviously face criticisms but given his age, there could always be a resale value.
In other Everton news, this midfield star may have a longer Everton future than first thought after the latest developments elsewhere.