Tottenham may well have taken a big financial hit on Dele Alli, as his permanent move to Everton looks imminent.
Alli has made 18 appearances for Spurs so far this season but just ten of those have come in the Premier League and of those, he has only started eight matches.
The 25-year-old signed for the Lilywhites in 2015 from MK Dons and was loaned back to his former side until the end of the season, before his permanent move to N17.
The midfielder had already impressed and in his first season at Tottenham he made 33 league appearances, scoring ten goals and registering nine assists.
This season, Alli has struggled to find a regular spot in the starting XI and when he has been given the opportunity, has failed to consistently perform.
When Antonio Conte opted for a 3-5-2 set-up against Liverpool, the 25-year-old played in a midfield three and put in arguably his best performance of the season.
However, the Italian often goes with his favoured 3-4-3 set-up, which Alli just hasn't found a way to thrive in, leading to his links with an exit during the January transfer window.
The likes of Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Everton have all had reported interest in the midfielder, with a move to the latter seeming imminent before the deadline.
Frank Lampard has now taken over as The Toffees boss and the ex-Chelsea man has already had his say on the midfielder.
"Dele Alli is a special player. He is better than me when I was 20, that's for sure," Lampard admitted in 2017. "He's ahead of the game. Simple as that. He's advanced. Even on the international stage he looks comfortable.
"It's just how he goes now, not just what he does on the pitch but off the pitch, the people around him, how he grows as a player but with that – as a starting point at 20 years of age, he's got the world at his feet."
There is no denying the ability that Alli has talent and he has shown previously, but it is this growth that he has struggled to develop.
Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has had his say on the midfielder making a move north.
"He's [Lampard] got a lot of work to do. I think they've recruited badly," Redknapp admitted on talkSPORT on Monday morning. "He needs to make sure they get some better players in.
"I would love to see him take Dele Alli and turn his career around again because he's a great talent...needs to do something and get him back on track because there's a great player in there somewhere."
A number of outlets have reported that the midfielder will make a permanent move to Everton but where Tottenham look set to miss out is the fee they are reportedly going to receive for him.
In 2018 Alli had a market value of £90million, according to Transfermarkt, but since then that value has seen a continuous drop and now sits at £22.5m.
The reports confirming Alli's move have suggested he has begun his medical and that the move will be an initial free transfer, with The Toffees paying £10m once the 25-year-old has played 20 games - a gap of £80m from his prime.
Lampard's side have to make the deal for the ex-MK Dons player permanent, as their imminent signing of Manchester United's Donny van de Beek takes them up to their limit of loans from other Premier League clubs.
