06 January 2023 , 11:11
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Dele Alli's Turkish nightmare has taken a fresh twist with Besiktas attempting to cut-short the player's loan agreement.
The former England international has seen his career nosedive in recent years. Tottenham allowed him to leave for Everton in a deal worth up to £40m last January, but Alli lasted just months at Goodison Park before he was sent out on loan to Vodafone Park.
Alli has made nine appearances in all competitions at Besiktas, scoring on two occasions. The club now want to send the player back to Merseyside, but Everton aren't keen on him returning early, according to Turkish publication Sabah.
The 26-year-old has failed to rediscover his best form whilst in Istanbul. Şenol Güneş, the current Besiktas boss, who inherited a squad that included Alli, claimed earlier this season that the player had not hit the heights expected. He said: "I couldn't affect the players [yet], now I can easily get through to them, but we haven't got through to Dele Alli yet. Let's not discuss Dele Alli as a player, but he is below expectations in terms of efficiency."
In December, Alli was hooked just 29 minutes into a cup clash with Sanliurfaspor. Besiktas were 2-0 down at the time but went on to win 4-2. The home crowd could be heard jeering the England star as he faced the embarrassment of his early withdrawal.
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Alli was unable to make an impression at Everton before they opted to send him out on loan. Frank Lampard bought in several new faces in midfield back in the summer and warned the former Tottenham man that he needed to focus on his training if he wanted to rediscover his best form.
The former Tottenham man has endured a difficult time in IstanbulCan Alli revive his career to its former level? Have your say in the comments below.
He said: “I do have great empathy for the trajectory of his career in a sense because it is clear to see. I don’t have to dress that up in any way. Having worked closely with him for a period I have to say he really does need to understand the relation of training and focus to what that means to performance at the highest level.
"It’s not just the Dele story, I would say that to any player because it’s the only thing I know. I wasn’t a saint, but I know what training can do and focus can do, and that’s something he really has to take on board. If he can, it can be not just a great thing for him but for the teammates around him in the squad. He’s at that point. That is the test for him now.”