Everton have completed a deal to sign Dele Alli from Tottenham in a deal that could be worth as much as £40 million.
The 25-year-old joined Tottenham from MK Dons back in 2015, making an instant impact in the Premier League as he netted 37 goals and provided 29 assists in the league across his first three seasons in the top flight to establish himself as the brightest talent within English football.
His fortunes have since taken a dramatic downturn though, netting just 14 goals and providing eight assists over the past three-and-a-half seasons in the Premier League as he failed to replicate his best form under a succession of different managers at Spurs, and ultimately sliding a long way out of the reckoning for the England side.
Out of favour under Antonio Conte, Alli has now opted to try to rebuild his career away from North London and has completed a move to Everton on an initial free transfer, with the entirety of the transfer fee set to be determined by a number of performance-related factors – a deal that could eventually reach up to £40m.
Reports earlier in the evening suggested that Newcastle had made a late swoop to hijack the deal following their disappointment in their pursuit of Jesse Lingard, though it is thought that the appointment of Frank Lampard as Everton manager was influential in Alli’s decision to move to Goodison Park.
Speaking to on the completion of the deal, Alli told the club website: “I’m delighted to have signed for Everton, a huge club with a great fanbase and history.
👋 @dele_official pic.twitter.com/3Zxj20O4BU
— Everton (@Everton) February 1, 2022
“I’m eager to get started and can’t wait for my first game in an Everton shirt.
“I’m looking forward to helping the team and the opportunity to work with the new manager Frank Lampard.”
Alli’s departure sees him follow Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Bryan Gil out of Spurs on deadline day, while Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur have both arrived from Juventus at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
As for Everton, Alli joins Donny van de Beek as a deadline day arrival as the Dutch midfielder moved to Goodison Park on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season.
