“We think he cannot contribute” – Besiktas coach says Dele Alli doesn’t ‘deserve’ to play as woeful loan stint continues

Besiktas midfielder Dele Alli's decline in form has amazed many. Once touted as a future superstar for England when he was at Tottenham Hotspur, he has now slowly vanished into obscurity.

The 26-year-old has enjoyed just a single minute of league football since the start of November last year. His time at Besiktas has been consistent with his struggles towards the latter part of his career at Spurs and during his debut season with Everton.

After making just eight league starts under manager Antonio Conte in the first half of the 2021-22 campaign, he was allowed to join Everton on a free transfer in January. His time with the Toffees was no better.

After making just a single Premier League start in the second half of the season, it was clear that he was surplus to requirements at Goodison Park. A season-long loan move to Besiktas last summer was seen as a chance to redeem himself in a less competitive league.

💥 Beşiktaş taraftarı oyundan alından Dele Alli'ye tepki gösterdi. https://t.co/I9sBfbOJfW

However, he has completely fallen out of favor under new manager Senol Gunes. The previous manager, Valerien Ismael, handed Alli six appearances before being sacked in October.

Under Gunes, he has played just 194 minutes of football spread across four games across competitions. It seems like the situation won't improve anytime soon.

Besiktas' manager has stated that Alli is not in line to receive regular minutes right now. He explained (h/t Express):

"I don't think Dele Alli deserves to play right now. Sending the player [back to Everton] is something else and not the topic here. We expect him to contribute to the team, but we think he cannot contribute at the moment. We will evaluate it with him and the club."

Besiktas flop Dele Alli was once destined for greatness with Tottenham Hotspur

Dele Alli's most embarrassing moment in Turkey so far came in his team's 4-2 win against Sanliurfaspur on December 21.

Trailing 2-0, Alli was hauled off in the 29th minute, with his team staging a huge comeback to win the Turkish Cup clash. This is a far cry from his days at Tottenham Hotspur, where he won the Premier League Young Player of the Year (2015-16, 2016-17).

Remember when @dele_official did THIS?! 🤯

#GoalOfTheDay @SpursOfficial https://t.co/EWiILIgtum

He made the Premier League Team of the Year in both of those seasons, registering a combined 28 goals and 18 assists in 70 league games. Dele Alli's career at the top of the game is in jeopardy.

It remains to be seen if Everton will be open to having him on their books once his spell in Turkey ends. His contract with the Toffees only expires in the summer of 2024.