Everton signed Alli on a highly incentivised deal from Tottenham in January that saw them pay nothing as an initial fee.
The 25-year-old was expecting to rekindle his career on Merseyside under new manager Frank Lampard and Bent admits that he expected him to do better at Everton amidst his new surroundings.
But Alli has failed to sparkle and was an unused substitute in Everton’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United earlier this month.
Everton are still fighting to save themselves from dropping down to the Championship, but Bent feels relegation could be a blessing in disguise for the player personally.
He believes the midfielder might gain some much-needed confidence in the second tier and the former striker admitted that he does not see a Premier League side wanting him if Everton get relegated.
Bent said on talkSPORT: “I thought going to Everton, fresh surroundings and a new start, would kind of kick him back into life.
“A bit of hunger, completely different circumstances and a different manager but it hasn’t happened.
“What might need to happen? There are no guarantees and it’s a knock on his pride but at the end of the day, he is not playing really well.
“Maybe he needs to go down a division to the Championship and completely rip it up.
“If Everton were to go down, which I am sure they hope doesn’t happen, but if they were to go down he needs to absolutely rip it up.
“You expect him to be the best player in that division, get a bit of confidence and then come back up.
“But at the minute, he just can’t seem to get himself going and if they go down, what Premier League team would buy him?”
It remains to be seen whether Everton remain patient with Alli if they survive in the Premier League this season.
