Sky Sports pundit baffled by Everton exit rumours around Dele Alli, tells club how to help him
We’re delighted to welcome former Everton striker Kevin Campbell as our exclusive columnist. Each week the former Toffees captain will be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Goodison Park…
Kevin Campbell believes Dele Alli is “at Everton to stay” after a star turn in the win over Crystal Palace that secured the club’s survival.
The former Tottenham man arrived in a deadline day deal in January but has struggled to reach his previous heights, prompting suggestions that the club may look to move on from him before he hits any of the thresholds that trigger payments to Spurs.
But after the midfielder came on at half-time of the 3-2 win at Goodison and helped turn the game on its head, Sky Sports pundit Campbell has backed him to remain, and pinpointed where the team can help players like him flourish.
“I don’t know where all these rumours come from, they’ve only just signed him,” Campbell exclusively told Goodison News.
“He’s been at the club for six months. He’s had a difficult time.
“I think in that game when it mattered, second half against Palace, and Palace are a decent side, I thought Dele Alli and [Alex] Iwobi were outstanding with [Abdoulaye] Doucouré in that midfield, I thought they were all very good second half especially.
“You saw touches of the old Dele Alli there.
“I just think Frank Lampard knows the player. He knows what he wants to get out of him.
“There has to be changes at Everton. First and foremost they’ve got to get that defence right.
“If you get that defence right then the likes of Dele Alli can improve going forward.
“With the [current] defence you’re always playing catch up, it’s crazy to play catch up all the time.
“So I think there are a lot of inner workings that have to happen, but I think Dele Alli’s at Everton to stay.
“I can’t see them doing any business getting rid of him, he’s only been there for six months.”
There have been flashes of the quality that everybody knows Dele has, not least against Palace where he was central to the huge turnaround in the game.
But he is a lightning rod for criticism, whether he is doing anything or not, and the fact that Lampard has often chosen anyone but the 26-year-old made it seem like he wasn’t long for Goodison.
Yet at the most crucial point in the season the manager turned too his one permanent signing and he delivered, so everyone around the club will hope that a full pre-season will make that a more regular occurrence next season.
In other Everton news, Campbell is fully behind the Toffees’ pursuit of one “perfect” signing with a £90,000-a-week contract already offered.
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