Liverpool Echo

Sean Dyche was quizzed about who could start at right-back for Everton against Tottenham Hotspur with four players who have played in that position ruled out

Everton will head to Tottenham Hotspur amid a crisis in defence. Ashley Young will be suspended for the trip to London on Saturday following his straight red card in the disastrous opening day defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

It means fifth-choice centre-back Mason Holgate may now fill the role next the weekend - unless Sean Dyche opts for a tactical reshuffle.

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That is because alternative options Seamus Coleman, Nathan Patterson and James Garner are all injured and, Blues boss Dyche said after the 3-0 loss to Brighton, unlikely to be fit to return.

Patterson is in the final stages of recovery after hamstring surgery while Garner, a central midfielder who has played on the right of defence for Everton and England Under-21s, and Coleman both have calf issues that were picked up in pre-season.

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Dyche has used Holgate at right back in the past - though the experiment ended prematurely when he was sent off while in that position at Crystal Palace the season before last.

Asked whether he was favourite to operate there at Spurs, the manager acknowledged Holgate’s introduction late in this defeat was with that in mind.

Dyche said: “Yeah, the squad is what it is. We have added to it and tried to find a balance but have been a bit unfortunate with injuries.

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“None of them, apart from Youssef [Chermiti’s], are drastic but they are all two or three weeks and that can cost you at this early stage when you’ve got the games coming and have just finished pre-season.”

Asked whether he could turn to the academy - England youth prospect Roman Dixon scored one and created another for the Under-21s against Blackburn on Friday and was around the senior setup during pre-season - Dyche said: “It’s a big ask for under-21s to dive straight in but we’ll certainly have to look at the best available options.

“Certainly for the next week. You never know for the cup game and two weeks' time.”

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After the visit to Tottenham Hotspur, Everton return to Goodison Park to take on League Two outfit Doncaster Rovers in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

Former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke is set to join Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth up to £60m

Dominic Solanke could become the sixth-most expensive sale in Liverpool’s history as Tottenham Hotspur close in on a move for the one-time England international. Spurs have reportedly agreed a deal in the region of £60m with AFC Bournemouth to sign the striker.

The 26-year-old joined the Cherries from the Reds in January 2019, departing for an initial £19m fee after just eight months at Anfield.

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However, Liverpool have received £24m for Solanke to date, with the ECHO reporting back in November 2021 that all the add-ons that were included in the deal which took the striker to the Vitality Stadium have been activated, with most having been physically paid up to that point.

The Reds also negotiated a 20% sell-on clause into the deal that took the striker to Bournemouth, and look set to receive a significant windfall courtesy of his big-money move to Tottenham.

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While such a clause is limited to profit only, the Cherries are still set to sell the forward for £41m more than their initial outlay back in 2019.

Consequently, if the sell-on is applied to profit on that initial price and a £60m fee is indeed accurate, they could find themselves entitled to a further £8.2m. Even if it applies only to profit after the aforementioned add-ons, Liverpool would still receive £7.2m.

As a result, Solanke’s overall fee when leaving the Reds is set to rise over £30m and could even stand at £32.2m - £13.2m more than his original transfer fee.

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The striker is currently Liverpool’s 10th most expensive sale in the club’s history, with the add-ons included £24m already seeing him overtake Danny Ings and Rhian Brewster in the Reds’ list of record sales.

But he could now also leapfrog Sadio Mane, Christian Benteke, Xabi Alonso and Mamadou Sakho.

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The Belgian joined Crystal Palace for an initial £27m, rising to £32m with add-ons, in August 2016. Meanwhile, while the Senegalese departed in a deal worth up to £35m to Bayern Munich in June 2022, his subsequent departure after just one disappointing season ensured the majority of add-ons on the initial £27.5m were not required to be paid.

Alonso cost Real Madrid £30m in August 2009, while Sakho left in a £26m deal to Crystal Palace in August 2017.

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Only Philippe Coutinho (£142m), Luis Suarez (£65m), Fernando Torres (£50m), Raheem Sterling (£49m) and Fabinho (£40m) will have been sold for bigger fees than Solanke in Liverpool’s history.

However, Joe Gomez did see a £45m switch to Newcastle United collapse in June, in a swap deal that would have seen Anthony Gordon move the other way in a separate £75m transfer.

When you consider Coutinho, Suarez, Torres, Sterling and Fabinho were all star players for Liverpool, the fact they can claim to have received potentially £32m for Solanke - a fringe striker who scored once for the club from 27 appearances - makes it even more a remarkable deal than when the Reds first signed off on his £19m exit five and a half years ago.

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Solanke initially suffered a slow start with Bournemouth, but shone following their relegation to the Championship as he scored 30 goals in all competitions to help them win promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.

Replicating such form in the Premier League last season, he scored 21 goals from 42 appearances with such form attracting the interest of Tottenham in the first place. Solanke will leave Bournemouth having scored 77 goals from 216 appearances for the club following his Liverpool exit in 2019.

Everton have reached an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur over Dele Alli, giving Sean Dyche the green light to help the player work towards what would be a remarkable football comeback. Everton originally signed Dele on January 31, 2022, in a highly-incentivised move with Tottenham Hotspur that could have eventually seen them shell out up to £40million in transfer fees but that two-and-a-half year contract expired at the end of last month with the 28-year-old becoming a free agent.

The ECHO understands that under the new arrangement, the Blues – who were seven games shy of the first £10million payment being due under the original deal – are not required to pay a further fee should they offer the midfielder a new contract and although Dele is not yet ready to return to full training with Everton’s squad as he continues his rehabilitation from a groin injury that prevented him from playing last season, the plan is for him to travel to Ireland with the first team group this week.

Dele has not played a competitive game since he was hooked at half-time of Besiktas’ goalless draw at home to Antalyaspor on February 26, 2023, a game that saw former Everton striker Cenk Tosun miss a last-minute penalty, and the injured midfielder’s loan spell in Istanbul being cut short with him returning to Finch Farm in April that year. His last Blues outing was when he came on as a substitute in their 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa on August 13, 2022, the same day that Amadou Onana made his debut.

However, after an interview with Gary Neville which came out this time last year, in which he spoke frankly about a number of off-the-field issues he suffered throughout both his childhood and adult life, the Milton Keynes-born player surprised many in April by telling Sky Sports that he is still targeting playing for England in the 2026 World Cup finals, proclaiming: “People will be like ‘he hasn't played in a year’ but that's my aim. I know where my level is.”

While the famous CIES Football Observatory in Switzerland calculated that Dele was the most-valuable midfielder in the world back in 2018, he has not been close to reaching those levels at Everton, failing to complete 90 minutes in any of his 13 matches for the club and starting just once, in the 5-1 thrashing at Arsenal on the final day of the 2022/23 season after Frank Lampard’s side had achieved Premier League safety. Dyche acknowledges that the player has got a long way to go after his dramatic fall but having vowed to leave no stone left unturned when first appointed in trying to cure Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s long-standing fitness issues and being rewarded with 39 games in all competitions from the striker last season after what the Sheffield-born star described as a “factory reset”, the Blues boss is understood to be determined to help Dele as best he can when it comes to getting his life and career back on track.

The duo – who grew up just 30 miles from each other – had several long conversations last season and even bonded over talking tactics, with Dyche saying: “He was very informed and telling me what he thought.” On a separate occasion, the former Burnley manager said: “Dele brought something up I thought was really important and shared it with the players. We were having an honest conversation and he described it really well, this idea of direct play, people presuppose that means kicking the ball down the pitch – no it doesn’t – and he was on it straight away.

“He said: ‘I get exactly what you mean. Can you play forwards as a first thought?’

Outsiders with preconceptions about them both might struggle to pair them as kindred spirits but while Dyche has publicly declared: “Why fight the box you’re put in?”, he is much more layered than his prevailing image of merely being a harsh taskmaster.

Asked last August how Everton deal with the Dele’s situation and how important the pastoral side of the care was, Dyche said: “Well he thought very well. I saw his interview and I thought he spoke very positively and fairly about what we’d tried to support him with, and I think he’s come through it well in his own grounds, not just on any support we’ve given him.

“I remember saying in an interview probably seven or eight years ago I think with Henry Winter, he said: ‘What do you think the future is?’ and I said health and well-being because of the demands of the job, the demands of social media, the demands of modern football life as a player are getting harder all the time. That was my truth then and it still is.

“I think it is a future of what’s going on. I think the health and well-being, the mental well-being is going to be a big part of the future of football.”

Sean Dyche is hoping he can bring about a spectacular revival in Dele’s career with Everton close to reaching an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur over a revised payment structure for the midfielder but the Blues are set to miss out on Jaden Philogene.

Under the terms of Dele’s transfer from Tottenham to Everton in January 2022, the north London club were due a significant fee if the 28-year-old agreed a new contract at Goodison Park. Dele is a free agent after his Everton contract expired at the end of last month and as first reported by the Athletic, discussions between Everton and Spurs are ongoing over a revised payment structure that would allow the Blues to re-sign Dele should they wish and as part of this deal, Spurs are likely to retain a sell-on clause if Dele departs Everton for a fee in the future.

The ECHO understands that Everton chiefs are now close to reaching an agreement with their Tottenham counterparts over the matter which would give the green light for Dele – who is training at Finch Farm as the Blues offer him assistance over the groin injury that prevented him from playing last season – to potentially make a formal return to the club. Dyche, who vowed to leave no stone unturned when it came to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s long-standing fitness issues when he was first appointed, overseeing a regime that the striker described as a “factory reset” last summer that was rewarded with the player turning out 39 times in all competitions, is relishing the challenge of potentially getting Dele’s career back on track.

The famous CIES Football Observatory in Switzerland calculated that he was the most-valuable midfielder in the world back in 2018. However, despite his heavily-incentivised move from Tottenham Hotspur to Everton being potentially worth up to £40million, having played just 13 matches for the Blues, starting just once and failing to complete 90 minutes, no transfer payments were ever required.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa appear to have won the race for Hull City winger Philogene. Everton insiders said on Tuesday that they had a deal in place to sign the 22-year-old and the player – whose agent posted a photograph of himself at the Blues’ Finch Farm training ground – wanted to join them.

However, despite Crystal Palace – who are seeking a replacement for Michael Olise following his move to Bayern Munich – and newly-promoted Ipswich Town also being in the hunt for the England Under-21 wide man, Villa, who sold their former academy graduate to the Tigers for an undisclosed fee understood to be in the region of £5million on September 1 last year, have activated the matching rights clause and are now expected to re-sign Philogene next week for a £18million fee.

Sean Dyche is hoping he can bring about a spectacular revival in Dele’s career with Everton close to reaching an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur over a revised payment structure for the midfielder but the Blues are set to miss out on Jaden Philogene.

Under the terms of Dele’s transfer from Tottenham to Everton in January 2022, the north London club were due a significant fee if the 28-year-old agreed a new contract at Goodison Park. Dele is a free agent after his Everton contract expired at the end of last month and as first reported by the Athletic, discussions between Everton and Spurs are ongoing over a revised payment structure that would allow the Blues to re-sign Dele should they wish and as part of this deal, Spurs are likely to retain a sell-on clause if Dele departs Everton for a fee in the future.

The ECHO understands that Everton chiefs are now close to reaching an agreement with their Tottenham counterparts over the matter which would give the green light for Dele – who is training at Finch Farm as the Blues offer him assistance over the groin injury that prevented him from playing last season – to potentially make a formal return to the club. Dyche, who vowed to leave no stone unturned when it came to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s long-standing fitness issues when he was first appointed, overseeing a regime that the striker described as a “factory reset” last summer that was rewarded with the player turning out 39 times in all competitions, is relishing the challenge of potentially getting Dele’s career back on track.

The famous CIES Football Observatory in Switzerland calculated that he was the most-valuable midfielder in the world back in 2018. However, despite his heavily-incentivised move from Tottenham Hotspur to Everton being potentially worth up to £40million, having played just 13 matches for the Blues, starting just once and failing to complete 90 minutes, no transfer payments were ever required.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa appear to have won the race for Hull City winger Philogene. Everton insiders said on Tuesday that they had a deal in place to sign the 22-year-old and the player – whose agent posted a photograph of himself at the Blues’ Finch Farm training ground – wanted to join them.

However, despite Crystal Palace – who are seeking a replacement for Michael Olise following his move to Bayern Munich – and newly-promoted Ipswich Town also being in the hunt for the England Under-21 wide man, Villa, who sold their former academy graduate to the Tigers for an undisclosed fee understood to be in the region of £5million on September 1 last year, have activated the matching rights clause and are now expected to re-sign Philogene next week for a £18million fee.

The discussions with Tottenham Hotspur are part of a long-running conversation between the clubs over the terms of the original deal that saw Dele Alli join Everton

Everton are in talks with Tottenham Hotspur over the future of Dele Alli as the Blues continue to support his recovery from injury.

The 28-year-old is training at Finch Farm after being offered Everton's assistance as he works to overcome the groin issue that prevented him from playing a role last season.

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While he is now out of contract, the terms of the move that brought him to Merseyside from Tottenham would complicate any attempt by the Blues to sign him to a new deal. The ECHO understands Everton are in talks with Spurs about renegotiating the original terms of that agreement. If the club is successful then Dele could be given an opportunity to prove himself during pre-season.

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The discussions are the latest to form part of a long-running conversation between the clubs over the player. Last season, as he appeared close to a return following surgery last summer, there were talks about the terms of his January 2022 transfer - which made efforts to help Dele's recovery prohibitive due to the payments that would have been due should he have gone on to hit performance milestones.

While no breakthrough was reached, they became redundant when the England international suffered an unfortunate setback in training to his groin injury, one that went on to prevent him from being available to feature last season.

After nearing a return towards the end of last season he has spent this summer working hard, engaging in close-season training camps in Portugal and London before returning to Finch Farm on day one of Everton’s pre-season on Monday as he took up the club’s offer of support in his rehabilitation.

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Whether that relationship is to develop further now appears to be dependent on the talks between the Blues and Spurs which could, if successful, allow Dele the chance to make a case for a new deal this summer.

While he is yet to make an appearance under Sean Dyche, Dele struck up a good relationship with the Everton boss last season. Dyche has spoken of the value of Dele’s football intelligence and its use in communicating ideas to his players.

Reflecting on this last November, he explained: “You forget that he has experienced some really big things in football. He’s played in a Champions League final, he’s played in a World Cup semi-final. These are amazing things he’s experienced.

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Everton are in talks with Tottenham Hotspur over the future of Dele Alli as the Blues continue to support his recovery from injury.

The 28-year-old is training at Finch Farm after being offered Everton's assistance as he works to overcome the groin issue that prevented him from playing a role last season.

While he is now out of contract, the terms of the move that brought him to Merseyside from Tottenham would complicate any attempt by the Blues to sign him to a new deal. The ECHO understands Everton are in talks with Spurs about renegotiating the original terms of that agreement. If the club is successful then Dele could be given an opportunity to prove himself during pre-season.

The discussions are the latest to form part of a long-running conversation between the clubs over the player. Last season, as he appeared close to a return following surgery last summer, there were talks about the terms of his January 2022 transfer - which made efforts to help Dele's recovery prohibitive due to the payments that would have been due should he have gone on to hit performance milestones.

While no breakthrough was reached, they became redundant when the England international suffered an unfortunate setback in training to his groin injury, one that went on to prevent him from being available to feature last season.

After nearing a return towards the end of last season he has spent this summer working hard, engaging in close-season training camps in Portugal and London before returning to Finch Farm on day one of Everton’s pre-season on Monday as he took up the club’s offer of support in his rehabilitation.

Whether that relationship is to develop further now appears to be dependent on the talks between the Blues and Spurs which could, if successful, allow Dele the chance to make a case for a new deal this summer.

While he is yet to make an appearance under Sean Dyche, Dele struck up a good relationship with the Everton boss last season. Dyche has spoken of the value of Dele’s football intelligence and its use in communicating ideas to his players.

Reflecting on this last November, he explained: “You forget that he has experienced some really big things in football. He’s played in a Champions League final, he’s played in a World Cup semi-final. These are amazing things he’s experienced.

Liverpool were once in talks to sign Paul Gascoigne in the summer of 1988 prior to his British record £2.2m move to Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool were once in talks to sign Paul Gascoigne in the summer of 1988 prior to his British record £2.2m move to Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool saw hopes of winning the Premier League 2 title dashed when they were beaten on penalties at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday