Dele Alli looking for new club again after just one appearance for latest team

Former England midfielder Dele Alli is a free agent again after a mutual termination of his contract at Como, having made just one appearance for the Serie A side. Dele moved to the Italian club on a free transfer in January on an 18-month contract, aiming to get his career back on track following a lengthy lay-off due to injuries, addiction and mental health problems.

However, Dele’s Como debut ended in misery when he was red-carded less than 10 minutes after being brought on as a substitute in Cesc Fabregas’ side 2-1 defeat by AC Milan at San Siro in March. The 29-year-old, once a key figure at Tottenham who was capped 37 times by his country, helping them reach the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, has since been frozen out at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia.

A joint statement from Dele and Como said: “Como 1907 and Dele Alli have agreed to a mutual termination of his contract.

"Dele is keen to secure regular playing opportunities and, as he was not part of the club’s immediate plans, both parties felt it was the right decision to part ways ahead of the transfer window closing. The club thanks Dele for his time at Como and wishes him the very best for the future.”

Dele left Tottenham for Everton in January 2022 but made just 13 appearances before being loaned seven months later to Turkish club Besiktas, a stint which was cut short because of a hip injury. A groin issue contributed to Dele not appearing for the Toffees in the 2023-24 season although he was in the headlines for an emotional interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap podcast in July 2023.

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Alli revealed he had been sexually abused as a child and discussed in detail his time in rehabilitation following sleeping pill addiction and mental health problems. He then appeared on Sky Sports ’ Monday Night Football in April 2024, saying he had been “overwhelmed” by the response to his emotional interview and that he was finally starting to “see the light”.

Como, who count former Arsenal captains Fabregas and Thierry Henry as minority shareholders, finished 10th in their first season back in the Italian top-flight after a near 50-year absence. They have spent big during the summer transfer window, with former Manchester City man Maximo Perrone among their midfield additions.

Dele is one of a number of former Premier League stars currently available on a free transfer. Ex-Chelsea stars Hakim ZIyech and Kurt Zouma are both unattached at the time of writing, though Ziyech has been linked with a move to Spain.

Clubs are able to sign these players outside the transfer window providing they have space in their squads. Recent free agent transfers to Premier League clubs include Loris Karius' move to Newcastle and Diego Costa's Wolves switch, both in September 2022.

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