Hugo Lloris has told Sky Sports he hopes Dele Alli can get back to his ‘best level’ at Everton after leaving Tottenham Hotspur to join Frank Lampard’s side in the January transfer sales.
Alli spent six-and-a-half-years in north London following his arrival from MK Dons, but fell out of favour in recent seasons. The 25-year-old played just 25 Premier League games over his last one-and-a-half campaigns at Spurs. He also scored just one and assisted one goal.
Scoring and creating was Alli’s speciality during his first terms at Tottenham with Mauricio Pochettino at the helm. He scored 10 and laid on nine in his first season in 2015/16 before scoring a best 18 and creating nine the next. His 11 assists in ‘17/18 is his single-term high.
Antonio Conte’s arrival at Tottenham in November would prove the final curtain for Alli in the capital. He featured in just three league games under the Italian, starting two, totalling 145-minutes before joining Lampard’s quest to keep the Toffees in the top-flight this term.
Everton did not pay Tottenham a fee for Alli’s transfer, but will owe Spurs £10m after his 20th appearance. The midfielder cannot reach the threshold until next season, either. But the deal can reach £40m should he trigger all potential future performance-based add-ons.
Hugo Lloris hopes Dele Alli gets back to ‘best level’ at Everton after Tottenham exit
Lloris has a lot of respect for Alli from what the Everton midfielder offered Tottenham over his years in north London. The goalkeeper is also ardent he offered Spurs a lot, and hopes the England maestro can return to his best levels at Goodison Park in the years to come.
That was not the case on Monday night as Lloris’ Tottenham thrashed Alli’s Everton 5-0. Nor has it been for his time on Merseyside so far after five substitute appearances. But the Frenchman sought to ensure he could saw a proper goodbye to the supporters at full-time.
“It was something really simple,” Lloris explained. “I was driven by my instinct, the crowd were singing for Dele and he had almost left the field. I grabbed his arm and brought him towards the South Stand.
“In football you go from one club to another, you don’t have time to say goodbye. Dele has a lot of respect for Tottenham, and we have a lot of respect for him, the fans, too. He did a lot for us and spent six-years here. He had some great moments and gave a lot to the club.
“I thought it was the best way to close the chapter for him. He will be welcome at the club, and it was good to see him on Monday night. We wish him the best, and he’s a top person. I hope he’ll get to his best level soon.”
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