Dele Alli's Everton Future Hangs in the Balance: Can He Reignite His Career at Goodison Park?

This summer has been a period of uncertainty for Dele Alli. The 28-year-old midfielder, now out of contract with Everton and recovering from a long-term thigh injury, finds himself at a crossroads in his career.

His name was notably absent from Everton's starting lineup for the opening Premier League match last Saturday. Until a deal is reached, either with Everton or another club, he remains unable to feature in any competitive matches, even at the under-21 level.

Financially, Dele has enjoyed a degree of stability this summer. Despite his contract expiring at the end of June, he continued to receive payment, as is standard practice, until the end of July. Nevertheless, the need for a resolution is becoming increasingly pressing.

Despite his contractual status, Dele has been treated like a regular Everton player throughout the summer. He rejoined the squad for pre-season training last month, diligently undertaking his rehabilitation with the medical staff. He was also part of the team's pre-season tour to Ireland in mid-July and has gradually reintegrated into training sessions with the first team.

However, the initial stages of this summer presented significant obstacles for Dele in his quest for a new deal. Everton's precarious financial situation and the terms of his 2022 transfer from Tottenham Hotspur meant a substantial sum would have been payable to Spurs if he signed an extension.

Without an agreement between the two clubs, Everton lacked the financial capacity to re-sign him. Additionally, there was the crucial need for Dele to prove his fitness over an extended period to warrant a new deal.

These obstacles have been gradually overcome. Everton and Spurs reached an agreement to restructure their transfer agreement, waiving the initial lump sum payment if Dele were to re-sign at Goodison Park. The revised structure now hinges on performance-based factors and includes a sell-on clause.

This paved the way for renewed discussions between Dele's representatives and Everton. With all parties eager to reach an agreement, a one-year deal is likely, contingent upon Dele proving his fitness in the coming weeks. Finding a mutually beneficial agreement was never going to be easy, especially given Everton's financial constraints, but Dele's strong desire to remain at Goodison Park and prove himself has helped facilitate discussions.

The next month appears to be a pivotal period for Dele. He has intensified his rehabilitation in recent weeks, to the point where he is now participating in training sessions with Sean Dyche's first-team squad. This represents his most consistent run of training since his initial injury setbacks.

A return to competitive action, most likely following the upcoming international break in early September, will provide him with an opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities this season. However, until his contractual status is resolved, these opportunities will likely be confined to behind-closed-doors friendlies.

Dele is popular among the Everton squad, who have witnessed his unwavering commitment to regaining full fitness. He impressed his teammates with his eagerness to participate in additional evening training sessions during the Ireland tour and was frequently seen spending time with vice-captain James Tarkowski during downtime.

"It's good to see this side of him," said winger Jack Harrison to The Athletic during the tour. "He's been unfortunate with injuries and that can alter your mindset. Players can end up thinking about retiring but he wants to keep going."

"At the start of the week, we were in the gym at 9pm doing extras. He said he was going to the gym and I went with him. Seeing how he is like that, doing extras – it could help just a small percentage but he's willing to work to get back on the pitch and show everyone what he can do."

Should Dele remain fit and a deal be agreed, both parties would be taking a leap of faith. He has not featured for Everton since August 2022, nor competitively since being substituted at half-time for loan club Besiktas in a 0-0 draw against Antalyaspor in February 2023. His Everton appearances total just 13, and in the summer of 2023, he publicly discussed his mental health struggles and revealed that he was sexually abused as a child.

After a difficult journey marked by well-documented setbacks, Dyche and the club would be providing support for Dele as he navigates this critical juncture in his career.

This responsibility is significant, but crucially, the relationship between Dele and Dyche is positive. Dyche has been a consistent presence during Dele's rehabilitation, regularly checking on his progress.

There is a sense that the former England star is well-suited to the attacking midfield role behind the striker in Dyche's usual 4-4-1-1 formation, provided he can overcome his injury issues. Dele has observed Dyche's methods from the sidelines and his observations have been incorporated into training sessions to help explain the manager's concept of 'direct play'.

"I had a chat with Dele," Dyche said in November. "He's a great fella and has come through a lot. He said: 'When you talk about direct play, they (the squad) think it means kicking it forward but I know you don't. Mauricio Pochettino used to talk about direct passing football – turn and get it forward'."

"He got it and I told the players that story. I wanted them to understand that Dele is in a really good place watching our games and is thinking about it."

The hope is that Dyche can revitalize a career that once held such immense promise. At his peak, the attacking midfielder appeared destined for greatness. He scored 67 goals and registered 58 assists in 269 games for Spurs, earning 37 England caps in the process. There was even talk of a move to Real Madrid.

Much has changed since then, but Dyche's team needs more creativity in their midfield. Ordinarily, a player of Dele's calibre would be financially out of reach for Everton, given their current situation, but this is an unusual circumstance. He needs them, and they could benefit from his talent, provided he remains fit and can rekindle some of his past magic.

There are no guarantees. How could there be after the last few years? Yet, there is at least a chance of a positive outcome to Dele's story, and no one would begrudge him that.

"If he ends up here, that would be brilliant for the club," said Harrison. "Everyone knows what he's capable of."

"He's played for England, been a top player in the past, and to see that side of him again would make everyone happy."

*Additional reporting: Jack Pitt-Brooke*

*(Top photo: Dele at Goodison Park last August; Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images)