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Everton 'want to renegotiate Dele Alli deal with Tottenham Hotspur'

By Andrew Delaney, Reporter | 23 September 2023

Everton 'want to renegotiate Alli deal with Spurs'

Sean Dyche reveals that Everton will make contact with Tottenham Hotspur about restructuring their deal for Dele Alli given the tight financial restraints the club is in.

Sean Dyche has revealed that Everton will look to renegotiate the payment structure of the transfer of Dele Alli with Tottenham Hotspur.

Everton signed Alli on an initial free transfer on deadline day in 2022, with payment instalments in place based on how many appearances the player would make.

Alli played just 13 Premier League games for Everton before being shipped out on loan to Besiktas in Turkey last summer.

Besiktas manager Senol Gunes was not impressed with Alli though, and banished him from the squad in early March.

Since returning, Alli has been missing with injury, and also made startling admissions about difficulties and trauma in his private life.

With Everton's wafer-thin squad a glaring issue, Dyche has to use any resource that he has available to him.

However, with a £10m instalment being owed to Spurs when Alli makes another seven Premier League appearances, the club would be reluctant to play him given their dire financial situation.

With a takeover from 777 Partners currently in the pipeline, but stalling at present, money is tight at Goodison Park.

Everton manager Sean Dyche on August 12, 2023 © Reuters

Dyche said in his pre-match press conference before Everton face Brentford on Saturday evening that Alli will be involved in the squad when he returns from injury.

The Everton manager said: "When he is fit and well I am sure Kevin Thelwell will go to Tottenham and say right, how can we make this work for everyone."

Most of Alli's appearances in an Everton shirt have come off the bench, and he is still yet to feature under Dyche.

As Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gueye may both potentially be on Africa Cup of Nations duty in January, Everton will be looking for more options in the centre of midfield.

Andre Gomes remained at the club despite spending last season on loan at Lille, but he has also not featured since returning to Merseyside.

That means that Doucoure, Gueye and Amadou Onana are unlikely to get a break, given the lack of options behind them, and the fact that James Garner has been utilised as a winger more often than not this season.