Dele Alli's nightmare spell at Besiktas is somehow getting worse, it's so sad to see
Besiktas manager Senol Gunes has told Dele Alli he 'doesn't deserve' to play for the club as his nightmare spell in Turkey goes from bad to worse.
Alli joined Besiktas on a season-long loan from Everton in the summer after struggling to nail down a starting spot at Goodison Park.
The 26-year-old moved to Everton on an initial free transfer last January after falling out of favour at Tottenham Hotspur under Antonio Conte.
One Premier League start on Merseyside saw Alli move to the Super Lig. His woes have continued, however.
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Alli arrived to much fanfare but has made just 10 appearances. In that time, he's scored two goals and received criticism from Gunes.
That intensified on Wednesday when he decided to leave the England international out of their Turkish Cup round of 16 clash with Ankaragucu.
Following Besiktas' elimination via penalties, Gunes aimed another dig at Alli. He bluntly claimed Alli hadn't done enough to earn a place in his team.
Gunes said: "Dele Alli has had a good career. But he doesn't deserve to play at the moment."
Alli burst onto the scene with Spurs in 2015 after sealing a £5 million move from MK Dons, who were in League One at the time.
The midfielder immediately became a first-team regular under Mauricio Pochettino, forming a partnership with striker Harry Kane.
In his debut campaign, he scored 23 goals and won PFA Player of the Year.
He'd win that award again the following year, bagging another 22 goals. Pochettino's departure in 2019 is when things started to go south for Alli. He clashed with replacement Jose Mourinho, who delivered a few home truths in a face-to-face chat recorded for Amazon's 'All Or Nothing' docuseries.
Alli failed to recapture his form under Nuno Espirito Santo or Conte, ending his spell in north London after seven-and-a-half years.
Besiktas are reportedly keen to send Alli back to Everton. There is no break deal in the loan which means he could be forced to stay in Turkey until May.
In October, Gunes declared: "I couldn't affect the players [yet], now I can easily get through to them, but we haven't got through to Dele Alli yet."
"Let's not discuss Dele Alli as a player, but he is below expectations in terms of efficiency."
Daniel Marland