Dele Alli transfer update emerges at Everton as Sean Dyche reveals talks set to take place with Tottenham to renegotiate deal
Everton will consider approaching Tottenham Hotspur to discuss the terms of the Dele Alli deal once the player is close to a return to action, according to the Liverpool Echo.
According to the Merseyside outlet (23 September), Alli is seven games away from triggering a £10m payment to Spurs, which could be prohibitive due to the financial constraints Everton are operating within.
Dele spent last season on loan at Besiktas and then had hip surgery in the off-season, which he has already suffered one setback in the recovery from [Daily Mail, 9 August], while he revealed a number of off-field struggles in an emotional interview with Gary Neville (13 July).
In his press conference on Friday (22 September), Dyche said the club may seek to open discussions with Dele’s former club Tottenham over that deal as part of efforts to help his recovery progress.
He said: “It was a real blow for him. He has dealt with that fantastically well because he had a lot on his plate, he is coming out of that period and getting back on the grass, which is good for him and good for us. But he is still a bit away yet, he is nowhere near training with us yet but he is beginning to work with the sports science people.
“When he is fit and well, I am sure Kev [Kevin Thelwell, director of football], rather than myself, 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 to get to that stage.”
Everton future still possible
There is the possibility that Dele becomes a factor in the Everton first team in the near future because of his rehab from injury, and it would be wrong to write him off already.
Dyche’s comments regarding the Spurs talks don’t point towards Everton potentially ending the deal but trying to make it more financially viable given his injury recovery and potential first-team chances.
The way the Toffees negotiated the initial deal back in January 2022 was exceptionally controversial, a deal which could rise to £40 million if certain performance benchmarks are met.
That is a lot of money and right now, those performance benchmarks haven’t been met hence Dyche’s revelation of Everton returning to the negotiating table with Spurs.
It certainly seems as if the former Burnley manager still believes in Alli and as long as he remains manager at Goodison Park, Alli will always have the chance of returning to the first team but that still remains a long way away as he steps up his recovery.
Everton could sorely do with the player they thought they signed back then right now but it remains to be seen whether Alli can reach those levels again and that’s not even guaranteed at a club who are struggling to fire on all cylinders in the Premier League.
The next few months will be intriguing and crucial for all parties involved.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are locked in a Premier League battle to sign one of the hottest teenage footballing talents in Brazil with a January exit now possible.