According to the Liverpool Echo and The Mirror, Everton have now made contact with Tottenham aimed at rescuing Dele Alli’s career as the former England star edges his way towards a much-anticipated return to action.
It was revealed in September by manager Sean Dyche that the Blues hoped to restructure the terms of the complicated deal that brought the 27-year-old to Goodison Park in January last year, and while there hasn’t been much progress on that front, Director of Football, Kevin Thelwell, has at least begun “background talks” with the North London club.
Dele has been sidelined since suffering a hip injury while on loan at Besiktas last season and undergoing surgery in the spring and remains, in Dyche’s words this week, “a long way” from being ready to play again.
His initial move to Everton that coincided with the arrival as manager of Frank Lampard seemed to offer him a chance to reignite his career but, apart from a vital contribution off the bench against Crystal Palace in May 2022, he struggled to make an impact at Goodison Park and has yet to start a Premier League game for the Toffees at Goodison Park.
It was hoped that a loan spell in Turkey, away from the spotlight and intrusive UK tabloids would allow him a different opportunity but he failed to find form there either.
Now back on Merseyside and slowly working his way back to fitness despite suffering a set-back to his recovery last month, Dele has his eyes on finally breaking into the Everton team.
However, the situation is complicated by the nature of the deal that brought him to Goodison from North London, one that involved no fee up front but an initial £10m payment once he made his 20th appearance.
Dele has played 13 times already for the Blues and it is felt that just six more before the first tranche of a hefty fee is triggered won’t allow him the chance to properly refind his feet in the Premier League.
Furthermore, given Everton’s difficult financial position, they might not be able to pay that much, especially if there is no guarantee the player will either be able to stay fit or prove he can refind his form.
Thelwell is hopeful that the two clubs can find some way of renegotiating the terms of the original deal so that it makes sense for all parties and gives the player the best chance of finding his feet again.
Asked whether a solution had been found between the two clubs, Dyche said: “No not yet, Kev has had a couple of phone calls just lightly in the background, [asking Tottenham] ‘look, where do you see it?’ But nothing has changed at the moment.
“I must make it clear [Dele] is on the grass but still a long way from being fit, he is not training with us he is with the sports science staff.
“He is just really getting back to where he was. He was drastically unfortunate when the rehab (went) wrong after an operation, and it is almost more time than the original moment.
“But the specialists advised to leave it alone and just let it heal naturally. He is in a good place, but he is still quite far away.”