By Safiu Kehinde
Everton have secured a deadline day signing of Dele Alli and Donny Van de Beek from Tottenham and Manchester United respectively.
Following the unveiling of Frank Lampard as their new head coach, the Toffees pulled a deadline surprise as the Dele Alli grabbed two-year-deal worth £10 million while Donny Van de Beek joined on loan from Manchester United.
Lampard’s return to the Premier League will see him face a daunting task of guiding Everton past the relegation zone as they currently sit 16th on the league table with four points above 18th placed Newcastle United.
Having suffered from lack of midfield creativity, the signing of Dele Alli and Van de Beek alongside a manager, who was also a midfield maestro, appeared to bring Everton back to life while keeping their Premier League hope alive as well.
Everton announced Alli’s signing on their official website with the two-and-half year deal expected to run through 2024.
Speaking on his move to the Goodison Park, Dele Alli expressed his delight to join the club while hoping to have the opportunity, which was denied of him at Tottenham, to prove himself.
“I’m delighted to have signed for Everton, a huge club with a great fanbase and history.
“I’m eager to get started and can’t wait for my first game in an Everton shirt.
“I’m looking forward to helping the team and the opportunity to work with the new manager Frank Lampard,” Alli said.
The Englishman had fell out of favour at Tottenham Hotspur, right from Jose Mourinho’s era at the club. At the dismissal of the ‘Special One’, Alli could not find his momentum under Nuno Espirito who also left the White Hart Lane over Tottenham’s poor performance.
Meanwhile, the announcement of Antonio Conte as the new head coach following Nino’s sacking brought hope for Alli. Unfortunately, the midfielder still had his playing time shortened.
In a similar version, Donny Van de Beek had failed to establish himself since his move from Ajax to Old Trafford, due to lack of playing time. The Dutch midfielder was a sort of bench warmer under former Manchester United’s boss, Ole Gunner Solskjaer. He barely made a starting lineup and was often introduced from the bench in most matches.
Eventually, Ole Gunner Solskjaer was shown the exit door with Ralph Rangnick taking charge of the Red Devils as an interim manager. Donny enjoyed few first-team appearances under the German, but his quest for more saw him grabbed Everton’s loan offer.
Following his announcement as new Everton signing, Van de Beek appeared optimistic about the move as he revealed his readiness to prove himself under Frank Lampard who he claimed to have a similar relationship with.
“I had a really positive meeting with the new coach,” he said.
“We have the same ideas about football and he had lot of influence on my decision.
“I played against him when I was at Ajax, and he was at Chelsea [as manager], so he knows me as a player. He thinks I have qualities that can help the team. I can learn a lot from him because he was a little bit in the same position – a midfield player who scored a lot of goals.
“He can help me a lot, so I think I’m in a good spot. I want to improve with Everton. There are always things that can be better and I work hard every day to do that,” he stressed further.
On his readiness to prove himself, he vowed to impress not just the people of England, but the Toffees’ fans in particular.
“I want to show my qualities, my strengths, to the people in England – but especially the fans from Everton,” he added.
