Dele Alli, the former Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder, has left Como after agreeing to a mutual termination of his contract with the Italian club.
“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,” read a Como statement on Monday evening.
“The club thanks Dele for his time at Como and wishes him the very best for the future.”
As a free agent who was released before the end of the Italian transfer window, Dele would be free to join another European club and feature immediately, provided he is registered in time to be included on the relevant squad lists.
The Athletic reported on August 7 that Dele was set to leave the Serie A club and continue his playing career elsewhere, contrary to reports in Italy that the 29-year-old was planning to retire.
Dele signed an 18-month contract upon joining Como as a free agent in January following his exit from Everton, and made just one appearance for Cesc Fabregas’ side – which was quickly cut short by a red card after he came on as an 80th-minute substitute in the 2-1 defeat to AC Milan in March.
The two-time PFA young player of the year has struggled for consistent game time since his departure from Tottenham in 2022. Dele had subsequent spells with Everton and Besiktas but has not played more than 20 games in a season since 2021-22. He missed the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign through injury.
Dele spent seven seasons with Spurs after joining the north London club from MK Dons as one of the brightest young English prospects at the time. He scored 10 goals and assisted 10 in his debut season, before improving on that tally with 22 goals and 13 assists the following year, as Mauricio Pochettino’s side finished second in the top-flight.
Despite hamstring injuries, Dele also played a key role in Tottenham’s run to the 2019 Champions League final. He made a total of 269 appearances for the club.
The midfielder has been capped 37 times for England, and in a Sky Sports appearance in April 2024, he revealed his ambitions of returning to the international set-up for the 2026 World Cup.
In 2023, Dele spoke about his mental health in an interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap, and revealed Everton’s support for him while he went through rehab for a sleeping pill addiction.
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