EXCLUSIVEEverton reach agreement with Tottenham over future payments for Dele Alli - even though the forgotten England star is now a free agent

• e-mail

Everton have reached agreement with Tottenham so that they are not required to pay a further fee for Dele Alli should they offer him a new contract.

Dele is currently out of contract but has resumed light training with Everton.

Under the terms of his transfer from Tottenham to Everton in January 2022, the north London club were due a significant fee if the 28-year-old agreed a new contract at Goodison Park.

He will be given the chance to prove himself in pre-season. Though is not quite ready to resume full training with the group as yet.

Dele only played 13 times before being sent on loan to Besiktas for the 2022-23 season. 

Everton have reached agreement with Tottenham so that they are not required to pay a further fee for Dele Alli if a new deal is agreed

Alli is currently a free agent but could sign a new deal at Everton during pre-season

He has not played a competitive match since February 2023 due to a hip injury then a problem with his groin. 

The 37-cap England international has still been having treatment for his injury at Everton despite his contract expiring a fortnight ago and has taken part in light training sessions.

Alli has not made a first-team appearance in over a year - which came during his loan at Besiktas - amid a string of problems, including a groin injury.

The midfielder last year opened up on his mental health problems and struggles with addiction since he was last seen on a Premier League football pitch.

Toffees boss Sean Dyche will assess Alli before deciding on whether to give him a new contract

Alli previously joined from Spurs with Everton set to pay a fee if he signed a new deal

Following his deeply emotional and candid revelation in July 2023, he was hoping to make a swift comeback. But a fresh injury setback scuppered plans of a speedy reintegration and leave him some way short of a return to action.

Regarding Alli's return date, Everton boss Sean Dyche said in February: 'We'll see. There's a long way to go. We've deliberately kept him back, we agreed with him to give him time and space. Hopefully he'll be back, we just don't know.

'We've given him the privacy he needs at this time. He's in good shape. I spoke to him recently and we had a good long conversation with him.

'Making sense of another injury is difficult but he'll come through that.'