Besiktas chief makes Dele Alli loan admission after surprise Everton switch
Just six months after signing for Everton in a deal that could rise to £40million, Dele Alli departed Goodison Park for Turkish club Besiktas.
Alli simply didn’t settle down in Merseyside, and was unable to rediscover the form that made him an England star during his time at Tottenham.
As a result, the 26-year-old midfielder left in the summer, with Besiktas happy to agree to a one-year loan spell.
But according to Besiktas’ Sporting Director Ceyhun Kazanci, it didn’t seem like the Turkish club had Alli in their plans at all.
“Dele Alli was not a player on our list, but opportunity for such transfers can arise,” said Ceyhun Kazanci, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo.
“We wanted to add such a player to our squad.”
Cutting losses
It seems it only took Frank Lampard a few months to realise that Alli was never going to cut it at Goodison Park.
He was once considered a star player in the Premier League, but he’s suffered one of the worst drop offs in recent memory, and now looks a shell of his former self.
Alli struggled to get into this Everton side when they were struggling and facing relegation, so his hopes of ever returning to the Toffees look slim.
Frankly, it seems that Everton were happy to offer him out to any suitors in the summer, and Besiktas were just the first to raise their hands.
The Turkish club are also only paying around €10,000 of Alli’s wages during his loan spell (Sky Sports). While Lampard is probably still hopeful of Alli rediscovering some form during his Turkish stint, he’s probably equally hoping that Besiktas look to make it a permanent move as soon as possible.
Many of Lampard’s signings since becoming Toffees boss have been impressive, but rolling the dice on Alli is definitely one to forget.