Everton have finalized the signing of Dele Alli from Tottenham Hotspur, making him Frank Lampard’s second signing as manager of the Toffees.
Lampard was just officially confirmed as Everton’s manager on Monday, but the club has rushed to back the former Chelsea manager, whose first mission will be to steer the Merseysiders away from the Premier League relegation zone.
Lampard’s first signing was Donny van de Beek, a Netherlands midfielder on loan from Manchester United for the remainder of the season.
Everton have bolstered their midfield options even more by bringing in Alli, who has had another disappointing season at Tottenham.
Everton was granted extra time to finalize a deal after asking permission, and the trade was not finalized until more than an hour after the 23:00 GMT cut-off point for Premier League transactions to go through.
“I’m delighted to have signed for Everton, a huge club with a great fanbase and history. 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,” Ali said.
The 25-year-old, who has signed to a two-and-a-half-year agreement at Goodison Park, may cost Everton up to £40 million if different stipulations are triggered, according to reports.
Alli’s impact at Spurs has waned in recent seasons, despite being one of the brightest players in the Premier League when he broke into the scene under Mauricio Pochettino in 2015-16.
In his debut season at Spurs, Alli scored 10 Premier League goals, and he increased that total to 18 in 2016-17. However, he has not scored in double digits in the league since, and he went the entire last season without scoring in the competition.
Nuno Espirito Santo used him in a three-man midfield at the start of the season, and he scored a penalty in a win over Wolves in August, but that remains his sole league goal in 657 minutes of action, and he has not played regularly under Antonio Conte.
Lampard, on the other hand, appears to be confident in his ability to re-energize the former MK Dons star, who has also lost his spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad in recent seasons.
Alli joins an Everton side that is now 16th in the Premier League, only four points above the relegation zone. Lampard’s first match in command, like Van van Beek’s, will be in the FA Cup against Brentford on Saturday, although he might make his debut against fellow strugglers Newcastle United on February 8.
Source: Livescore.com/news
