Dele Alli's spell at Besiktas hit another low point last night after the Everton loanee was hooked inside 30 minutes to a chorus of jeers from the stands.
Besiktas were at home to third division side Sanliurfa S.K. in the fifth round of the Turkish Cup, quickly finding themselves 2-0 down inside 15 minutes. Manager Senol Gunes wasted no time in making two changes on 29 minutes, one of which was the removal of Alli for Gedson Fernandes.
Alli rushed off the pitch to a loud chorus of boos and jeers at Vodafone Park, watching on from the substitutes bench as his side scored four goals in 18 second-half minutes to win 4-2 and progress into the next round.
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Last night's scenes present the latest in a series of struggles for Alli since leaving Merseyside for Istanbul over the summer. The 26-year-old took the decision to move abroad in a bid to reignite a once glistening career after falling out of favour under Toffees manager Frank Lampard.
After a positive start to life in Turkey, the midfielder has been unable to exert the same influence as his Tottenham Hotspur days, with Besiktas boss Gunes bizarrely coming out in public to label the loanee's form as 'below expectations.' He said: “I couldn’t affect the players. 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.”
Just last week, the club's sporting director Ceyhun Kazanci revealed 'intense talks' took place with Alli before the move, with the on-loan Everton man is working 'intensely' to return to his best.
“Dele Alli is working intensively. We had intense talks with him before we signed him,” he told Turkish broadcaster TRT Spor.
“Senol is famous for returning many players whose careers have been on the decline. We hope that he will be better in the second half of the season.”
A two-time winner of the PFA's Young Player of the Year award during his Spurs days, Alli's form declined after the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino, just a few months after their Champions League final defeat to Liverpool in 2019. A contrast in ideals with new manager Jose Mourinho saw the England international dropped from first-team action and regularly criticised in public.
Everton signed Alli from Tottenham on deadline day in 2022, not long after the arrival of Lampard as manager, initially on a free transfer with appearance-related add-ons. that could have risen up to £40million - although the figure paid by the Blues is thought to be far less.
The former MK Dons star failed to register a single goal or assist during 13 appearances last season, and with the addition of midfield reinforcements in the form of Idrissa Gueye, Amadou Onana and James Garner, he decided a move away from the media furore of Premier League football was in his best interests. Alli will stay in Turkey for the remainder of this season before deciding on his future.
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