Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp has weighed in on the recent rumours linking Everton midfielder Dele Alli with a transfer to Turkish side Besiktas.
Redknapp believes that Everton manager Frank Lampard and Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi might be part of the contributing factors to the England international's proposed move away from Goodison Park.
Alli moved to Everton on a permanent transfer from Tottenham Hotspur in January 2022, after falling out of favour at the London club due to a dip in form.
At Everton, the 26-year-old has not had much success either, featuring in only 11 matches for the Toffees with 10 of those being substitute appearances.
In a talk show with talkSPORT as reported by tbrfootball, Redknapp stated that Lampard's decision to play Iwobi in midfield might have contributed to Alli's decision to leave the Merseyside club after just eight months.
Redknapp said: "Frank Lampard’s obviously looking at him and thinking he’s not doing the business for me, he’s been on the bench, there’s other players that are giving more."
Redknapp stated that even though Alli has not played in defensive midfield in his career, the MK Dons child prodigy must have felt somehow that Iwobi, a natural winger, was selected ahead of him for a midfield position regardless.
“I did their first game on Sky at the start of the season and Iwobi played as a central midfield player, ahead of him. Iwobi has always been a winger," Redknapp explained.
"I know he’s [Alli] not necessarily a defensive midfield player but you look at that and that’s a bit of a slant against him.”
Iwobi has been on the rise at Everton since he returned from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The 25-year-old has become one of the first names on the team list under Lampard, earning praise for his all-action displays and work rate.
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