Sean Dyche has revealed Everton will look at renegotiating their deal to sign Dele Alli from Tottenham amid a threadbare financial situation.
The club are awaiting a takeover from American firm 777 Partners and Dyche admitted that director of football Kevin Thelwell will probably have to adjust the terms of the deal.
Everton have to pay Spurs £10million once Dele, 27, makes 20 appearances for the club. He is currently seven away and suffered a setback when a stitch inserted during a groin operation broke open during training seven weeks ago
‘He is not ready yet, when his fit and well I am sure Kev will go to Tottenham and say “Right, how can we make this work for everyone”,’ said Dyche. ‘It has never been at that stage so we have to wait for it.’
‘He was training with us, warming up and doing the drills, and he strikes the ball and is knocked back to square one. It was a real blow to him.
‘He’d had an operation on his groin, they internally stitched it like an anchor inside his body, and one of them popped out having a shot and that was it.
‘It was incredibly frustrating because he was feeling great. He is still a bit away yet, nowhere near training with us but is beginning to work with the sports science people.’]
Dyche, looking for a first league win of the season at Brentford on Saturday with Everton in the bottom three, says his lack of options mean players like 22-year-old Amadou Onana have to be over-used.
The £34million midfielder has scored only once in 41 appearances but Dyche admits: ‘We haven’t got the ability to drip him in and out because we need all hands on deck. If he was at another club, it would have happened.
‘We’ve had to fast-track his learning. It’s not easy. Youngsters usually need time but unfortunately we are looking at our guys and saying: “There’s no time, you’ve got to crack on now”. And that is hard.’
At least, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dwight McNeil are available after missing matches through injury, while Jack Harrison might be fit enough to make his debut off the bench after joining on loan from Leeds.