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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Connor O'Neill

'A strange situation' - Dele Alli sent brutal Everton transfer message

Former Everton captain Alan Stubbs believes Dele Alli has no future at his former club and has claimed the midfielder appears to have lost his love for football.

Alli joined Everton from Tottenham in February and made 11 appearances, but just one start, for the Goodison Park club last season. The England international then made two substitute outings - in league defeats against Chelsea and Aston Villa - for the Blues this season.

A two-time winner of the PFA's Young Player of the Year award, Alli did not score or register an assist in 13 games for Frank Lampard's side.And following a slow start to the campaign, Everton allowed Alli depart the club during the summer transfer window, with joining Besiktas on a season-long loan deal.

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Alli received a hero's welcome when he arrived in Istanbul to complete his move back in August. Supporters greeted him at the airport in their numbers before chants of his name could be heard.

The 26-year-old had a strong start at the Super Lig club, scoring his first club goal in more than a year in his second appearance for them. However, Alli has been substituted in every game he’s featured in since returning from a hamstring injury.

Besiktas boss Senol Gunes recently admitted the former Tottenham Hotspur man could be doing better when quizzed about him.

“I couldn’t affect the players,” he said. “Now I can easily touch them, but we haven’t touched Dele Alli yet. Let’s not discuss Dele Alli as a player, but he is below expectations in terms of efficiency.”

And Stubbs believes Alli has no future at Goodison Park and has spoken of his shock at how much the midfielder has gone backwards in recent seasons.

“Dele doesn't have a future at Everton. It's a strange situation because I don't think I can ever remember a player falling off a cliff as quickly as Alli has,” he told Football Betting.

“I don't know what's gone on in his private life but to go from being an England international to not being anywhere near that level is really bizarre.

“I personally feel sorry for him because something has gone drastically wrong. He's still got plenty of years left in him but he looks like he's lost the love for football."

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