Sources: Everton stance on new Dele Alli contract revealed amid surprise Serie A links

Dele Alli has been linked with a move to Genoa but TEAMtalk can reveal that those reports are wide of the mark, with the 28-year-old focused on his training with Everton.

The former Tottenham golden boy has been out of contract since the end of last season but has continued to train with the Toffees in a bid to get back to full fitness.

Dele was once considered to be one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe but injuries and off-field issues have led to an impasse in his career.

But Dele is confident that he can get back to his best once again, saying in an interview earlier this year that he believes he can break back into the England squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

He joined Everton from Tottenham in 2022 and made just 13 appearances for the Merseyside club, before having an unsuccessful loan spell with Besiktas in 2022/23.

Dele is currently available as a free agent and Italian outlet Secolo XIX have reported that Genoa are interested in signing him to cover for injured star Ruslan Malinovskyi.

However, sources have revealed to TEAMtalk that there is no concrete interest from the Serie A side and Dele’s full focus is on earning a new contract at Goodison Park.

READ MORE: Graham Potter ‘ready’ to return to management amid Everton links, still ‘grieving’ Chelsea sack

Dele would ‘love’ to re-sign for Everton

Everton’s sporting director Kevin Thelwell was asked about Dele’s future at Everton in a recent interview with BBC journalist Giulia Bould.

Thelwell insisted that Everton would ‘love’ to offer Dele a new deal, once he regains full fitness.

The Toffees have also reached an agreement with Tottenham that means that they won’t have to pay the London side a fee should he pen a new contract.

This took several negotiations to reach, as the initial deal said that if Dele made 20 appearances for Everton, Spurs would be due a significant fee. That clause too is thought to have been wiped off.

“We are in a good space now with Tottenham, we have an agreement with those guys about what happens next if we sign him,” Thelwell said.

“He would dearly love to play for Everton in the Premier League and we would dearly love that to happen as well because the boy has had a very difficult time.”

Sources have informed TEAMtalk that Everton’s position on Dele hasn’t changed and they are keen to give him a chance to prove himself once he gets fully fit again.

Everton target Sunderland midfielder

Meanwhile, Everton are set to be taken over by The Friedkin Group before the January transfer window, which could lead to them making a couple of new additions.

Reports suggest that the Toffees are one of several clubs interested in Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg, but they face competition for his signature.

Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are all reportedly considering moves for Rigg in 2025, as well as League One side Birmingham City.

Sean Dyche has also come under criticism after the Toffees’ have endured a disappointing start to the season.

However, Everton’s position has always been that they back Dyche to turn things around and their win against Crystal Palace on Saturday has helped the manager’s cause.

The Toffees currently have no plans to part ways with Dyche and will hope to build on their victory against Palace when they play Newcastle at Goodison Park this weekend.

TIMELINE: Dele Alli’s highs and lows

• Joined Tottenham for an initial fee of just £5m late in the winter window of 2015 but was loaned back to MK Dons for the remainder of the 2014/15 campaign.
• Made his Spurs debut against Manchester United in the Premier League in August 2015 as a late substitute in a 1–0 defeat away at Old Trafford. Scored his first goal for the club two weeks later against Leicester City.
• Alli made his first start for the England senior team in November 2015, scoring the opening goal from a long-range shot to beat Tottenham teammate Hugo Lloris in a 2–0 win against France at Wembley.
• Won the PFA’s Young Player of the Year award in back-to-back seasons in 2015/16 and 2016/17.
• Left Tottenham for Everton on a free transfer in January 2022 having scored 67 goals in 269 appearances for the north London club. He also notched 34 Premier League assists.
• Failed to make an impact at Goodison Park, making 11 appearances and only one start in the 2021/22 season, and two further appearances in the 2022–23 season. He did not score or register an assist in 13 games for the Toffees.
• Was loaned to Turkish outfit Besiktas in August 2022 with an option to buy but only scored twice in 13 games and returned to Merseyside early with a hip injury.
• Contract with Everton expired at the end of June 2024 but Alli continued to train at the club and did rehabilitation work with medical staff.
• Now in line for a potential new deal with Everton if he can prove his fitness to Dyche and his staff.

FULL BREAKDOWN – The five best free agents in each position available after the 2024 summer transfer window