09 June 2023 , 11:31
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The Besiktas club president has taken a dig at Dele Alli after confirming he won't be returning to the club next season.
Alli arrived in Turkey amid much fanfare last August, in a bid to revive his career having struggled to make an impact at Everton. But his loan spell in the Super Lig turned sour, with the former England international making just 13 appearances before returning to the UK prematurely for treatment on an injury.
And he was soon in the news for the wrong reasons, pictured with a balloon in his mouth while appearing to be surrounded by canisters of laughing gas. And whether he now remains at Goodison Park for the 2023/24 campaign remains to be seen.
Frank Lampard was in charge when Alli headed out the door last year. However, he's since been replaced by Sean Dyche, who has now learnt that sending the midfielder back to Besiktas is not an option.
Club president Ahmet Nur Cebi has been cynical about his loan spell: “Our contract with Dele Alli is over," he told BeIN Sports. "He was a player we were very excited about when he came. He won’t come back. We didn’t get what we expected from him. I hope he recovers as a human.”
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Few will dispute Cebi's claim about the player's form with the club, although the latter sentence implies there may have been other issues with the ex-Tottenham man. And speaking on the saga in April, Dyche implied that Alli would have to improve his off-field behaviour to have a chance of fighting for a first-team place.
“Some of the stuff that’s been said and reported - he’s 27 and like other players knows certain things and what they should or shouldn’t be doing," said the manager. "Forget about Everton for a minute, as a manager you can’t control everything they do in their lives.
Dele Alli made only 12 league appearances during his time in Turkey (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Should Dele Alli be given another chance at Everton? Share your thoughts in the comments below
“You can only guide people with what you think is good for them and eventually they have choices. We recommend they make good choices.”
Alli previously spent seven years at Spurs, and seemingly had the world at his feet when he starred in England's run to the semi-finals in the 2018 World Cup. But following the departure of Mauricio Pochettino, he struggled for form and failed to hold down a first-team place under successor Jose Mourinho.
He still has one year left on his Everton contract, meaning he could move on for free in the 2023/24 campaign. But any imminent sale is unlikely to reel in a big fee amid his on-field struggles.