Dele Alli’s dramatic decline has come as a huge surprise, but Besiktas are still hopeful the former Tottenham midfielder can turn things around in Turkey, according to the club’s sporting director.
Alli joined Besiktas on a season-long loan deal from Everton back in August in a bid to revive his career. The 26-year-old only joined Everton from Tottenham in January, but failed to make an impact on Merseyside in just 13 appearances and moved once again.
He has scored twice in eight appearances for the Turkish side so far, but has only been used as a bit-part player in the league. Alli is yet to complete 90 minutes in the Super Lig this season and Besiktas sporting director Ceyhun Kazanci admitted some doubt about his summer loan signing.
"No one can answer whether Dele Alli can do it right now,” he told TRT Spor. “He is working very hard. He is a player who reached €100million (in value) three years ago. He had a fall."
Besiktas were coached by former Barnsley and West Brom coach Valerien Ismael when Alli arrived, but are now led by Senol Gunes, who took over in October. The team, which also features fellow ex-Tottenham players Gedson Fernandes and Georges-Kevin N'Koudou and former Southampton winger Nathan Redmond, are eighth in the Super Lig.
Kazanci remains hopeful that Alli can hit a patch of form and return to his glory days at Tottenham. “Dele Alli is working intensively. We had intense talks with him before we signed him,” he added.
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“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.”
Alli contributed 67 goals and 61 assists in 269 appearances for Spurs between 2015 and 2022 following a sharp rise to prominence after joining from MK Dons. He became a regular for Gareth Southgate’s England side, but after featuring heavily at the 2018 World Cup his form took a dip. He has 37 caps but has not played for the Three Lions since 2019.
While he is on loan with Besiktas, the Istanbul-based club will have the option to make the move permanent for a reported fee of £6m at the end of the season. He will have to improve his performances for that to happen.
Soon after taking over in October, Gunes was asked about Alli’s influence. “I couldn’t affect the players,” he replied. “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.”
