"I just want to be happy playing football. Working with Lampard, and the great players Everton have got, is a great opportunity for me to do that. I'm excited to go there, show the fans what I can do, and help the club as much as I can."
Those were the words of Dele Alli when Everton officially announced his arrival in the early hours of February 1 of last year. It was a bold move by a club in transition. Frank Lampard had only just become Blues boss, there was no sporting director in place and a flurry of late January activity was intended to halt the slide towards a relegation fight.
Just like with Lampard, Dele’s time in the spotlight on Merseyside featured promising flashes but ended within a year. Unlike with the former boss who tried so hard to protect and support the deadline day signing in public, Dele is due back at Finch Farm and Everton, and Lampard’s replacement Sean Dyche will have a potentially expensive puzzle to solve this summer.
