It was quite a busy winter transfer window in the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur and Everton right in the thick of the action. The two clubs ended up making one of the most notable transfers of the winter on deadline day, with Dele Alli coming over to Goodison on a free transfer that could rise to £40 million based on other performance-related add-ons.
After a meteoric rise as he moved from MK Dons to Spurs, the 25-year-old Alli has suffered a precipitous dip in form over the last few seasons. Can this move to Everton see the talented midfielder resurrect his flagging career and rediscover his magic touch?
Read on below as SBOTOP examines what lies ahead for Dele Alli at Everton.
Dele, the former teenage wonderkid
It was just a few short years ago that Dele Alli was touted as the next big England star, and with good reason. He broke out as an 18-year-old with MK Dons in the 2014-15 season, delivering 16 goals with 9 assists for the Dons in League One.
That fantastic season earned him a big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur, and he proved he was no one-hit wonder by scoring 10 goals with 9 assists in his debut season with Spurs in the Premier League.
Alli was even better in his second season in 2016-17 as he scored 18 goals – sixth in the league – with 7 assists to help Spurs finish second, their highest-ever Premier League finish.
Dele possessed quite a unique skillset that blended a keen eye for goal and getting into the box with a bit of creativity as well as the willingness to work hard defensively and press from the No 10 position, which made him so valuable in Mauricio Pochettino’s system.
Dele had another fine season with 9 goals and 10 assists in 2017-18. He had already earned 33 England caps at the age of 22 and was starting for the Three Lions in the knockout round of the World Cup in 2018.
Based on his fabulous form in his first few seasons, it looked as if Dele would go on to dominate with both club and country for the next decade.
Dele’s sudden decline
But things took a turn the following season after the World Cup. Dele was not nearly as influential to Spurs’ success as they got another top-four finish and made a surprising run to the Champions League final.
Dele had a bit of a resurgence in the first year under Jose Mourinho as he had 8 goals and 4 assists in just 25 Premier League appearances. But he fell out with Mourinho in the Portuguese’s second season in charge – he made just seven starts in 15 league appearances that year – and has not recovered since.
Mourinho had called Alli out on his apparent laziness when it came to training, and that likely played a role in his falling out with Dele. Dele has also had his share of issues off the pitch, which may have contributed in him taking his focus out of football.
Dele gets a fresh start at Everton
After Dele’s disappointing last couple of seasons at Spurs, it seemed like the best solution for both parties to move on and make a fresh start elsewhere. Everton represents that new beginning for Dele, and on paper, it looks like the ideal place for him to get his career back on track.
Dele will have the newly appointed Frank Lampard as his coach at Everton, which seems like a good match. As a player, Lampard had a similar style to Alli in terms of getting into the box, so he should know how to get the best out of Dele’s attacking abilities. And defensively, Lampard likes to implement a high-pressing system, which also plays right to Alli’s strengths.
Of course, Dele’s success or failure at Everton still depends on his willingness to recommit himself and put in the work to get back to the great heights he reached in his youth.
And with the Toffees still in a bit of a sticky situation down near the relegation zone, Lampard is unlikely to stick with Dele if the former continues to play like he did in his last days at Spurs. Donny van de Beek, who also came over to Everton during the winter window, plays a similar position to Dele and will be desperate for playing time after his disastrous spell at Manchester United.
But this Dele deal is without a doubt a worthwhile gamble for Everton. At just 25 years of age, Dele should still have many good years left in him, and the talent he has shown is clearly worth the risk. The combination of Dele, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison up front has the potential to be quite special. And if it all clicks, Everton’s Premier League 2022 odds of survival should be fairly good.
Here’s hoping that after a couple of difficult seasons, Dele Alli can finally get his career back in the right direction and make some Premier League 2022 highlights at Everton.
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