Dele Alli facing embarrassing nightmare as Everton ponder £40m transfer dilemma

Dele Alli is reportedly facing the axe at Everton - just months after he was rescued from his Tottenham hell by Frank Lampard.

Alli was out in the cold at Spurs before Lampard rolled the dice to bring the midfielder to Merseyside in an eleventh hour deal in January less in one of his first acts at the club. The move was deemed a risk given the England international's remarkable drop-off in form over the past couple of years.

Both Alli and Lampard were adamant that a fresh start at Goodison Park could help the midfielder reinvigorate his career - but already that early optimism is looking alarmingly wide of the mark.

The 25-year-old has struggled to make any sort of impression at Everton, with reports claiming that the club are now planning to ditch the former England star in the summer.

Still just 25, Alli is yet to make a start for the Toffees and has racked up just 169 minutes of action across six substitute appearances.

Everton didn't pay a fee upfront for him, but did agree to pay Tottenham a sum that could rise to £40million if various performance related incentives were met - already that looks incredibly unlikely.

Rather than reviving his career, Alli has continued to flounder under Lampard. Given that he was a potent foil for Harry Kane during his best years at Tottenham, linking up with the most prolific midfielder in Premier League history seemed to be a match made in heaven.

But Lampard has so far failed to coax any sort form out of Alli. The much-needed jolt that the misfiring midfielder needs to spark some life back into his ailing career has not yet materialised.

Lampard did make an effort to defend Alli's laboured start to life at the club earlier this month, but with Everton embroiled in a