The 37-cap England international transferred from Tottenham to Everton in January 2022 but has only made 13 appearances for the Toffees since then. Earlier this summer, his contract with the Merseyside club expired, and he has yet to sign a new deal with Sean Dyche's team, despite training with them in pre-season following a series of injuries. Former Everton scout Bryan King has shared his perspective on the situation, challenging the 28-year-old to "prove he wants" a new contract at Goodison Park.
WHAT THE EX-EVERTON SCOUT SAID
King told Goodison News: “If Everton are prepared to get him fit, he then has to get back to playing. It’s one thing training and getting fit, but he has to get back into match situations. Decisions are still pending. It has been a strange situation ever since he went to Everton; I could never see him being an Everton player.
"I spoke to several people with big Everton connections, and they were also surprised the club brought him in. He doesn’t seem like the type of player ready for a relegation fight. However, he deserves a chance. If he is prepared to train, the next step will be matches and reintegrating into the squad. It will be interesting to see how the squad accepts him. For Dyche, if they can get him back, it could prove to be a very good free-transfer signing. Alli just needs to prove that he wants it.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Everton reached an agreement with Tottenham to waive paying a further fee when offering Dele a new contract. However, the former Spurs star may not be offered a new deal as he looks to get his career back on track. Dele made headlines in 2023 when he spoke about his childhood, time spent in rehab, and mental health issues.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Everton manager Sean Dyche has revealed Dele is still some way off from returning to action, despite training with the squad during pre-season. “Dele is getting fitter but only really just breaking into training. Forgetting about the contract situation, he’s generally with us and getting fitter,” Dyche said. The Toffees are set to open their new Premier League campaign at home against Brighton on August 17.
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