Everton: £40m star 'falling well short' at Goodison Park

Everton attacking midfielder Dele Alli is currently ‘falling well short’ of the standards he has previously set for himself, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The 25-year-old arrived at Goodison Park during the January transfer window from Tottenham Hotspur in a deal that could rise to £40 million but has so far struggled to find his best form.

Dele established himself as one of the most exciting young talents after joining Spurs from boyhood club MK Dons back in 2015.

Between 2015/16 and 2017/18, the creative talent registered 46 goals and 41 assists in 146 appearances across all competitions as Tottenham continued to excel under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino.

However, after the 2018 World Cup, Alli’s performance levels dropped off severely, and so did his productivity.

Over the next three campaigns, he racked up just 19 strikes and provided only 19 further assists for his teammates in 105 outings, highlighting his dramatic change in fortunes.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal: Full reaction on The Football Terrace

After falling down the pecking order in north London following the arrival of new manager Antonio Conte, it was hoped a deadline day switch to Everton could revive Dele’s stuttering career.

But that has not been the case so far. After starting his first game against Newcastle, Dele has failed to feature from the off since, making five substitute appearances before being left on the bench throughout their last Premier League fixture.

Despite the Toffees’ tribulations at the wrong end of the league table and their lack of cutting edge in the final third, Dele has still been unable to cement his place in the starting lineup.

And Jones has stated how the 6 foot 2 ace needs to ‘get his mind and focus back on track’