Dele Alli is set for a medical ahead of completing a permanent transfer to Everton following talks between Chairman Bill Kenwright and Tottenham Hotspur counterpart Daniel Levy.
That’s according to Sky Sports, who report Kenwright and Levy met in London on Monday to discuss Alli’s availability. New Toffees boss Frank Lampard had identified the midfielder among his top targets during discussions with Farhad Moshiri over replacing Rafa Benitez.
Everton were forced to negotiate a full-time switch with Spurs for the 25-year-old as Anwar El Ghazi is already on loan from Aston Villa, while they have also added Donny van de Beek in a temporary deal from Manchester United to further bolster the Goodison Park ranks.
Kenwright and Levy endured a lengthy but cordial meeting to thrash out the terms of any potential move. They eventually settled on a permanent deal, which could ultimately cost the Blues £40m if Alli achieves all future add-on clauses during his time on Merseyside.
Additionally, The Telegraph (31/01, 15:44) note Everton will pay Tottenham £10m once Alli has played 20 games. He will also sign a two-and-a-half-year contract after his medical.
Everton close in on transfer for Tottenham ace Alli
Alli will leave Tottenham two-and-a-half-years before his £100k-a-week contract ends with a deadline day transfer to Everton. He penned the deal in 2018, but has fallen out of favour and form in the years since. The 37-cap maestro also last played for England in June 2019.
The former MK Dons ace played 29 games for Spurs in all competitions last season. But only hit three goals and five assists, with no goals and one assist in the Premier League. He also only has two goals and one assist after 18 outings this term, with one top-flight goal.
Yet Alli impressed Rio Ferdinand with his efforts while playing in a deeper central midfield role under Nuno Espirito Santo earlier this season. The Portuguese attempted to reinvent the attacking maestro in a deeper box-to-box role before being replaced by Antonio Conte.
Ferdinand told BT Sport (11:51, 11/09): “Physically he can overpower, he can dominate, he can outrun most players around. Physically he is a machine, he is a specimen.”
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