Everton midfielder Dele Alli could become an expensive signing for the Premier League club if he stays at Goodison Park for a considerable period, according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown.

Alli arrived on Merseyside on the final day of January, and has failed to make much of an impression in his opening months at the club.

What is the deal in place between Everton and Tottenham for Alli?

Everton and Tottenham came to an agreement for Alli on deadline day in January, and when the deal was announced it seemed like a good piece of business from the Toffees.

It was revealed that they would not pay Tottenham any fee at all initially, and Spurs would only be due their first installment of £10m once Alli had made 20 appearances for Everton. Thus far, Alli has featured in just seven games under Frank Lampard.

However, factoring in performance-related add-ons, the eventual transfer fee could rise to as much as £40m.

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What has Brown said about Alli's situation at Everton?

Brown has admitted that this could turn out to be a good signing for Everton if he is not at the club for much longer.

However, he has hinted that it could prove to be an expensive mistake should Alli remain on Everton's books for the coming seasons.

Brown told GIVEMESPORT: “Dele Alli, they got on this very strange, almost pay-as-you-play deal, which has worked out quite a bargain, but will obviously become quite expensive if he sticks around for very long.”

Could Alli be the latest expensive flop at Everton?

Everton have not been afraid to splash the cash in recent years.

At the start of the 2019/20 season, they spent a combined total of over £95m on Alex Iwobi, Moise Kean, Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin. None of these signings have lived up to their price-tags, and Kean and Gbamin has since been loaned out.

Alli is earning £100,000-a-week at the moment, yet is hardly getting a game in an Everton side that is still involved in a relegation scrap.

Lampard and the club's hierarchy ought to make a decision on Alli's future over the summer before they have to start paying Tottenham for his services.

If they fail to act quickly, this could be another case of Everton ending up paying over the odds for a player that has failed to live up to expectations.