Football League World

Tottenham Hotspur loanee Ashley Phillips has not quite hit the ground running at Stoke City this season.

The 20-year-old impressed for the Potters last term, urging the club to secure another deal that would see the centre-back return to the Bet365 Stadium on loan.

Phillips has been limited to just 60 minutes of Championship football under Mark Robins during the early stages of the campaign, and Spurs may have to make a big decision about potentially recalling the youngster.

Alternative route may be best for young Spurs defender

The Welshman moved to Tottenham from Blackburn during the 2023 summer transfer window after a deal worth a reported £2 million.

Salford-born Phillips went on to make 18 appearances on loan at Plymouth Argyle during the second half of the 2023/24 season, before going out on loan again to Stoke the following term.

Phillips made his Blackburn debut at 17, and is obviously highly rated, given his 2023 move to Tottenham. Football League World's Rovers Fan Pundit Simon Middlehurst recently described the current situation as: "Really, really weird," going on to suggest that Phillips "made the wrong move."

Phillips impressed on loan at Stoke last term, making 35 Championship appearances as the Potters finished as low as 18th.

Since returning to the club, he has played just 60 minutes under Robins, while Stoke's excellent start leaves little room for Phillips to claim a starting place, with the Potters sitting in third place.

The defender is clearly talented, and Tottenham may be considering an alternative route for the defender in January, regarding another loan move that would see the defender play week in and week out.

Phillips needs game time - he may not get that at Stoke

For any young defender, game time is a necessity, and Phillips is not getting that at Stoke.

The youngster's underlying stats at Stoke last term suggest that the quality is there, and his 35 appearances match this.

In an underperforming Potter's side, Phillips blocked 1.3 shots per 90, 0.99 interceptions, and was dribbled past just twice in 3,082 minutes.

The notable areas in need of improvement are all aspects of the game that would undoubtedly come with experience and know-how. The 20-year-old won just 54.7% of his ground duels and 52.4% of his aerial duels last term.

However, with this in mind, a further run of consistent game time would only help when it comes to dealing with physical centre-forwards effectively. He most certainly has the frame, with his 6'4 stature, and experience will only add to this.

His 83.9% pass completion rate also does not tell the full story, with Stoke being far from a possession-based outfit last term.

Champions Leeds United attempted 27,267 passes, while only five sides registered a tally lower than Stoke's 19,228, with an average possession number of 46.7%. Stoke have since evolved under Robins, with the tally reaching 52.3% thus far this season - granted with a smaller sample size.

Despite the lack of minutes for Phillips in the season's early days, he still carries fantastic potential. However, he is unlikely to reach this at Stoke given the current circumstances.

A recall and subsequent move that is more suited to the youngster would be highly beneficial, and something that Spurs are likely to consider ahead of January.

Southampton will have few regrets about the way in which the club was run and how it performed in the early-to-mid-2010s, but missing out on the signing of Son Heung-min will always be quite a frustrating one for the south coast outfit.

Back in the summer of 2013, Mauricio Pochettino was embarking upon his first full season as manager of Southampton, having been controversially appointed to replace Nigel Adkins in January 2013.

Saints had finished 14th the year before but, with impressive recruitment and a continued strong youth development setup, they were determined to be ambitious and push on.

That season saw them finish eighth in the Premier League, narrowly missing out on European qualification, and continue to develop an impressive squad that saw three players, Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert, all form part of England’s 2014 FIFA World Cup summer; with Jay Rodriguez only missing out due to injury.

It was a very good season for Pochettino and for Southampton, but there may well be a wonder as to how good it could have been had they brought in Son as well.

Son Heung-min opted not to join Southampton

In March 2019, Mauricio Pochettino revealed that Southampton tried to sign Son Heung-min from Hamburg and the Argentine even went as far as to suggest the move was ‘so close.’

Having began his professional career with Hamburg and made his debut in 2010, Son had quickly begun to establish himself as a very exciting prospect in the Bundesliga, especially with a 12-goal league campaign in the 2012/13 season, alerting Saints and Bayer Leverkusen.

Pochettino said: “We were very close but in the end he was so young and his family preferred, rather than leaving Germany and the Bundesliga, to keep him there and he preferred to move to Bayer Leverkusen rather than Southampton.”

It is believed that the fee to take Son from Hamburg to the BayArena was in the region of £8 million, and that obviously would have eventually represented incredible value for Saints, had they been able to get the deal over the line for themselves.

Instead, that summer saw Southampton make just three permanent additions with Dejan Lovren, Victor Wanyama and Dani Osvaldo, who was their club-record signing, brought in from Olympique Lyonnais, Celtic and Roma respectively.

So, it appears as though Son was deemed a ‘market opportunity’ for a smartly run Saints anyway, with no other players in his position brought in if they didn’t get their main target, Son, over the line.

Son Heung-min eventually earned Bayer Leverkusen a hefty fee

Having hit double figures in the Bundesliga in successive seasons for Bayer Leverkusen, they eventually managed to cash in on the South Korea international when he moved to Tottenham Hotspur, to finally link up with Pochettino, for a fee in the region of £18 million.

Making over 100% profit on a transfer in just two years is, naturally, a positive and impressive thing and, for most clubs, they will live with regret for having missed out on that – but Southampton aren’t necessarily most clubs in that regard.

For example, a year after missing out on the signing of Son, and the potential millions to be made therein, Southampton sold the aforementioned England trio of Shaw, Lallana and Lambert to Manchester United and Liverpool respectively, with the latter two heading to Merseyside.

As well as that, they also cashed in on Lovren, with the Croatia international also moving to Anfield, whilst Calum Chambers was sold on for a hefty fee to Arsenal, too.

That sort of level of recruitment and selling on high after buying low was something that Southampton were masters at, and Son wasn’t a once in a lifetime opportunity in that regard – but it would have been intriguing to see if he could have pushed them on from eighth in the 2013/14 season, and then seventh under the management of Ronald Koeman in the following campaign, after that mini exodus.

So, in the end, Southampton may not have been harmed too much from either a football or financial perspective - and yet there will still be a feeling that there could have been something extra special had Son joined. On the cusp of European football, Saints drew far too many games to really kick on - and Son could have been their point of difference before eventually delivering them yet another sizeable profit.

Portsmouth came extremely close to striking a deal for one of England’s best midfielders of the 21st century.

In 2004, Pompey had just finished 14th in their maiden Premier League campaign and were looking to build on that success in the transfer window.

Harry Redknapp had been in charge of the Fratton Park outfit since 2002, managing them to the second-tier title in 2003 and had used his connections in the game to make some brilliant signings.

Their additions from the previous summer included the likes of Yakubu, Dejan Stefanovic and Teddy Sheringham, who all served Pompey well throughout the 2003/04 campaign.

However, there was one deal Redknapp couldn’t get over the line. If he had, it would’ve seen the club enjoy yet another phenomenal talent and could’ve resulted in a potential windfall for Portsmouth in the resulting years.

Portsmouth came bitterly close to striking Michael Carrick, West Ham deal

After West Ham United failed to achieve promotion to the Premier League in 2004, a young Michael Carrick decided it was time to pursue a move to the top-flight for himself.

Redknapp had previously managed the midfielder when he was in charge of the Hammers and wanted to use this previous connection to get a deal done for Portsmouth.

The 78-year-old revealed via a SunSport column that Carrick had met with him and Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie, with all signs pointing towards completing a deal for his services.

Redknapp stated that the two clubs had agreed a £2.4 million fee for the midfielder, and that Carrick was en route to his medical when Tottenham Hotspur swooped in.

Former Spurs owner Daniel Levy had caught wind that Redknapp wanted to recruit one of his former players and gathered that Carrick must have been a top quality prospect as a result.

From that point, the North London outfit had the upper hand over Pompey, and they subsequently signed Carrick for £2.75 million that summer.

Portsmouth lost out on massive Michael Carrick sale

In the short term, missing out on Michael Carrick would’ve hurt Portsmouth on the pitch.

Due to the quality the midfielder possesses, he would’ve controlled the tempo Pompey’s engine room and could’ve played a huge role in helping them push further up the Premier League in the following years.

However, failing to sign Carrick turned out to be a doubly bitter blow in the years that followed for another reason.

The former Middlesbrough manager made 74 appearances for Tottenham, where he began to establish himself as one of English football’s most promising midfield talents.

As always, Sir Alex Ferguson was on the prowl for the best young prospects coming through and decided that acquiring Carrick in 2006 was a wise addition to make.

Tottenham sold the midfielder for £18.7 million, which would’ve handed Portsmouth further transfer regret.

This sale may have been of great use to Pompey, allowing them to reinvest in their squad and potentially increase their competitiveness in the top-flight.

At Old Trafford, Carrick won five Premier League titles, the Champions League and the FA Cup before retiring in 2018, and has later gone on to return to the second-tier in a managerial capacity by taking charge of Middlesbrough between 2022 and 2025.

Portsmouth will always be envious of Tottenham for stealing the midfielder away from them and preventing the club from enjoying his immense talent before making a huge profit.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Former Blackburn Rovers defender Ashley Phillips is struggling for consistent game time during his loan spell at Stoke City from Tottenham Hotspur.

The 20-year-old initially signed for the Potters on a temporary basis last year, featuring 35 times in the Championship in the process.

However, Mark Robins’ side have made a strong start to the new campaign, and it has involved Phillips being on the bench.

He has come on as a substitute in three of their six fixtures in the Championship, failing to start on a single occasion.

The Welshman made the move to Spurs from Blackburn in a reported £2 million deal in the 2023 summer transfer window, but has not been able to break into the Premier League club’s first team plans.

Blackburn Rovers departure was bad advice for Ash Phillips

When asked if Phillips would be a better player had he stayed at Ewood Park, FLW’s Blackburn fan pundit, Simon Middlehurst, claimed that he should’ve continued to get first team experience with the Lancashire outfit due to their strong reputation for producing talent.

He believes the player was given bad advice, and that his decision to leave Rovers was the wrong move.

“Really, really weird situation for him,” Middlehurst told Football League World.

“He was obviously someone who had a lot of promise, making his debut at Blackburn when he was 17.

“Obviously, at that point it was always going to be the case where a big club was going to come in for him and hopefully it was going to kickstart his career from there, but for some reason it hasn’t worked out for him.

“I know that when he went on loan to Plymouth that he didn’t quite have the performances to back up the big hype behind him.

“So, if anything, he should’ve stayed at Rovers for a few more years, got a bit more first team football experience under his belt.

“Obviously, Blackburn are well known for producing young players, so it would’ve made sense for him to stay.

“But, clearly, he got advice at the time and made the wrong move.”

Stoke have made a positive start to the campaign, earning 12 points from a possible 18 to move into second in the table.

But Phillips has only been a bit-part player through this period, playing a total of just 62 minutes across his three appearances.

Meanwhile, Blackburn have earned six points from five games, which has left them 18th in the table but with a game in hand.

Tottenham Hotspur move hasn't worked for Ash Phillips

Phillips is still only 20-years-old, so there is plenty of time left in his career to turn things around and start fulfilling his potential.

However, it is clear that the move to Spurs just hasn't worked out and that he was given bad advice at the time, as a player of his age can't be expected to predict how these things will shake out in the long run.

It's unfortunate, and his lack of game time at Stoke is also a shame as it will only stunt his development, so perhaps a January switch to somewhere else could be on the cards in a bid to get him regular minutes.

Phillips' move to Spurs could perhaps act as a warning sign to other youngsters in the division that a jump up to the Premier League at a young age might not be the best step to take at that stage of their careers unless assurances can be made over game time.

Few will have seen Preston North End’s fantastic start to this Championship season coming after they finished 20th in the table in 2024/25, but the first two months of the campaign have been excellent for Paul Heckingbottom’s side.

From seven games played in the league so far, Preston have managed four impressive wins, two draws, and just the one banana skin defeat away at Portsmouth. They are fifth in the table at this point, level on points with both Leicester City and Bristol City just above them.

Lots of players in the PNE squad are enjoying stellar runs of form right now and have been key to their early success, but since the end of the September international break, the contributions of late summer loanees Alfie Devine and Lewis Dobbin, in particular, have been very hard to ignore.

After a turbulent 2024/25 campaign, Preston North End are playing well above expectations this time around

Last season was not a great one for Preston. They let one manager go after the first game, let their temporary management team go after the second game, and wound up finishing 20th after a winless April, needing a final day draw with Bristol City to keep them afloat.

Then, in the summer, the club oversaw the departure of starting goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, top Championship scorer Emil Riis, midfield terrier Ryan Ledson and promising youngster Kian Best, all for free.

With that in mind, few gave North End much a chance to compete in this season’s Championship, including BBC Radio Lancashire’s Andy Bayes, and pundits Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff, from the 72+ podcast.

With half the transfer window having passed, PNE had addressed their goalkeeper woes with the return of Daniel Iversen and imported League One standouts Odel Offiah and Thierry Small, among other new names. Yet, 21st in the table was as good as Paul Heckingbottom’s side were given as a prediction.

To Bayes’ credit, he did say that “the supply line to the forwards could do with supplementing”, and this analysis was made before the arrivals of Devine and Dobbin, and the deadline day loan of Harrison Armstrong from Everton, all of whom have the potential to fill that role.

Devine had arrived at Deepdale by the time Opta published their supercomputer predictions in August though, which relegated Preston 19.6% of the time – the fifth most of any team – from 10,000 simulations that were run.

Despite what the experts said in the summer, the facts are that Preston have had to contend with arguably the toughest start to 2025/26 in terms of who they’ve faced, and they’ve repeatedly smashed it out of the park.

They’ve beaten newly relegated Leicester City and Ipswich Town, became the first team in the league this season to take points away from league leaders Middlesbrough, and most recently, battered Derby County in their own backyard during the first half before showing their defensive resilience in the second to eke out maximum points.

The Lilywhites are playing to their strengths in all areas of the field – their defence has been fixed and sturdy, conceding the joint-second fewest goals of any Championship team so far; and midfield duo Ali McCann and captain Ben Whiteman are everywhere at once.

In addition, star striker Milutin Osmajic, who was valued at £15m amid summer transfer speculation, couldn’t stop scoring until getting injured just before the Pompey defeat. Most recently, Devine and Dobbin in attacking midfield have given PNE a bit of Premier League quality.

Alfie Devine and Lewis Dobbin are quickly making themselves comfortable at Deepdale

Alfie Devine came through the doors at Deepdale in early August on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, with prior EFL experience already under his belt from loan spells with Port Vale and Plymouth.

“I like to make people excited. I like to get on the ball. I like to always be involved in it and get people off their seats hopefully,” he said in an interview on the club's website.

His full debut came in Preston’s second league game of the campaign against Leicester. He opened the scoring in that 2-1 win for his new side from a tight angle after beating sweeper-keeper Jakub Stolarczyk to a loose ball just outside the penalty area. His second goal for the club came last weekend against Derby – a postage stamp strike from the edge of the box.

His drive and determination to attack the opposition was on show immediately with his first goal, and his efforts since his arrival have been recognised by the fans, with “Alfie Devine, Olé Olé” ringing out from the stands during every game in which he has featured.

No doubt this has helped Devine feel more at home at Deepdale, who told the club website after the Derby victory: “I think this is the quickest that I've ever been comfortable within a group because then it shows on the pitch when you play. That's a credit to the fans, my teammates and the staff”.

Devine’s direct attacking approach has been further complimented by another temporary PNE player, who arrived two weeks after he did – Aston Villa wide man Lewis Dobbin.

Wingers have been in short supply at Deepdale ever since the implementation of a five-back formation that has persisted since the days of Alex Neil’s managerial tenure. But when Dobbin arrived at the club, he, like Devine, told the club website: “I want to be effective in as many positions as possible on the pitch… I just want to get on the pitch and excite people.”

Exciting the fans is exactly what he has done so far, playing mostly as a second striker. It took just seven minutes for him to get off the mark in PNE colours, placing a strike in the top corner in a 3-2 defeat to Wrexham in the EFL Cup.

He followed that up with an even more impressive strike against Middlesbrough right after the international break, driving 25 yards from the edge of the centre circle to blast a strike into the top left corner from the edge of the box.

Even against former club Derby over the weekend, despite not scoring again, he was a repeated nuisance for the Rams’ backline, making difficult runs into dangerous areas and almost winning a penalty in the early stages before Devine’s goal.

These are all actions that the PNE faithful will not get sick of seeing from their players anytime soon.

Everybody wins if PNE’s great form continues – including Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa

Preston have had many memorable loanees come through their ranks who’ve gone on to great things – David Beckham, Danny Welbeck, Jordan Pickford, Anthony Gordon, Alvaro Carreras, the list goes on – but if things carry on the way they are, they might have two playing for them together right now.

Devine and Dobbin being two of the first names on Heckingbottom’s team sheet right now is great news for Spurs and Villa. Neither player has had a sniff of Premier League football for their parent clubs to this point, but their contributions in the Championship can only make the higher-ups in North London and Birmingham prick up their ears.

Potential opportunities could arise as their parent-clubs juggle ridiculous schedules. Or, their transfer fees will be flying up, and they will be sold for healthy money against a PSR backdrop.

When you consider that they are strutting their stuff so impressively for a Preston team that are currently defying expectations, that pair could end up being the ultimate winners from these successful-looking loans.

PNE won't mind, though, if the dark horse tag becomes a sustained push for the top six by the time Devine and Dobbin think about heading back to their parent-clubs.

Sheffield United and Millwall may already have started to regret missing out on Tottenham Hotspur loanee Alfie Devine, who is flying for a rival club in the Championship.

Both clubs were linked with a temporary move for the Premier League youngster, but he instead wound up at Preston North End.

He’s off to a strong start with the Lilywhites, having already opened his account from midfield by scoring twice against Leicester City and Derby County.

With Preston sitting in the play-off spots in the early stages of the Championship, thanks in no small part to Devine, and the Blades dead last in the table, the latter may well be wishing they’d got the loan move over the line.

Sheffield United and Millwall were both in for Alfie Devine this summer

According to The Mirror, both the Blades and Millwall were considering a move for the Tottenham youngster over the summer.

There was also believed to be some interest from Wrexham, but it was Preston who swooped in past their Championship rivals to land Devine.

The Blades, based on a report from The Star, were considering moves for Spurs pair Devine and Ashley Phillips, but landed neither, with the latter ending up with a temporary return move to Stoke City, who have also started the season well.

For the Yorkshire side in particular, they may be regretting the duo slipped through their fingers. The Blades likely felt that with the likes of Callum O'Hare, Ollie Arblaster, Sydie Peck and Gus Hamer at their disposal, a player like Devine, who can operate from front to back in the middle of the park, was not a priority.

What the powers-that-be at Bramall Lane maybe had not factored into that equation was the underperforming nature of the squad they'd built, along with a difficult start to the season for talisman Hamer.

The Dutchman, at this point last season, already had four goals and an assist to his name. This term, in the Championship, he has little other than four yellow cards to show for his efforts.

The Blades bad start cannot be pinned squarely on him, and he remains their best route out of their current problem, but Devine at Preston is having exactly the hit-the-ground-running campaign that United fans are used to seeing from a player like Hamer, a player who can grab a game by the scruff of the neck when the chips are down.

Millwall may have less immediate regret thanks to positive starts to the new campaign for the likes of Massimo Luongo and Luke Cundle in the middle of the park, the latter of whom already has a goal himself, whilst Will Smallbone was also signed from Southampton on deadline day - time will tell as to how he does at The Den, but he'll do well to be as impressive as Devine has been in his first few games.

Alfie Devine has hit the ground running this season for Preston North End

Having made a 15-minute cameo for Preston in the first game of the season against Queens Park Rangers, Devine required just seven minutes of his second outing, against Leicester City, to open his account for the campaign.

He added another a few games later against Derby County, becoming a key part of Paul Heckingbottom’s midfield in this early part of the season, with four starts in the club’s first six games.

The one game he missed, against Portsmouth, is so far Preston’s only league loss of the season, potentially a sign that they were missing his presence in the middle.

With the Blades having had him under consideration, and currently sitting last, with no points on the board and just one goal to their name, it would be understandable that they could be regretting not pursuing Devine further.

Preston North End may already be looking ahead to the future

In Devine’s profile on the Preston website, the club confirmed that they hold an option to buy on the midfielder following his current season-long loan.

Our Preston fan pundit, Darren Watson, believes his club should “break the bank” to action that clause, but holds doubts over whether that’s going to be possible.

“Looking at our current owner and their situation with money and how they like to put money into the club,” Watson added, “is that going to be a realistic option?

“I would love us to keep Alfie Devine because he’s only going to get better, and he’s thriving in this squad under Paul Heckingbottom, and he’s proving that game after game after game.”

Given the start he’s made to life at Preston, they will surely do all they can to try and keep him at the club, should he maintain his form.

Nevertheless, Preston have put themselves in a great position, with a nice problem to have, and one that the likes of Millwall and Sheffield United would certainly like to have.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Alfie Devine has made a strong start to life on loan at Preston North End following his summer move from Tottenham Hotspur.

The midfielder has contributed two goals from five appearances in the Championship, with Paul Heckingbottom’s side earning strong results.

The Lilywhites are aiming for a top half of the table finish this year after coming 20th in the previous campaign, narrowly avoiding relegation by just one point.

It was confirmed by the Lancashire outfit that they hold an option to buy clause as part of the loan agreement with Spurs.

Alfie Devine’s impact at Preston

When asked if the club should be breaking the bank to keep Devine, FLW’s Preston fan pundit Darren Watson claimed that it’s unrealistic to expect that from the current owners.

However, he is excited to see more of the midfielder during his time at Deepdale, particularly highlighting his partnership with Lewis Dobbin.

“What an absolute player Alfie Devine is,” Watson told Football League World.

“He showed his quality in the short time he’s been at Preston, and yes I do think Preston definitely do need to go out and break the bank.

“But, again, looking at our current owner and their situation with money and how they like to put money into the club, then is that going to be a realistic option?

“I would love us to keep Alfie Devine because he’s only going to get better and he’s thriving in this squad under Paul Heckingbottom, and he’s proving that game after game after game.

“And I can’t wait to see more of him.

“Obviously, we’ve got Bristol City at home next and hopefully he starts again.

“Him and Dobbin have worked a brilliant partnership up as well.”

Preston takeover claim

Watson believes the next owners should invest in the side by looking to keep their successful loan players, if a deal to purchase the club does happen over the course of this season.

“This takeover now, if we do get taken over, we need somebody with the money and the drive to go ‘you know what, these loan players have done well, let’s just keep them now and let’s build on this and let’s actually push for the play-offs’,” he added.

“That isn’t unrealistic, that is not an unrealistic view now play-offs.

“We’re doing well, we’re doing really, really well and I’m really excited for this team going forward.

“So, I do think Preston need to break everything they’ve got, make him our record transfer fee, we’ll have a whip around at Deepdale and we’ll get as much money as we can for the lad.

“Because, they say don’t ever fall in love with a loan player but it’s happened again.”

Preston are currently fifth in the Championship table, having earned 11 points from their opening six fixtures, leaving them only five behind leaders Middlesbrough.

Next up for Heckingbottom’s side is a home clash against Bristol City on 27 September in a 3pm kick-off.

Alfie Devine deal would be great for Preston

Devine looks like the real deal at the moment, impressing with his initial performances under Heckingbottom this season.

If he can keep this up, then he could prove a bargain signing for the cost of that buy option clause, even if it is potentially on the expensive side for Preston.

He has fit well into this team, and he has just turned 21 so he has plenty of room to still grow and develop as a player.

If Preston can’t afford the buy option under the current owners, then there will surely be a number of Championship clubs lining up to sign him instead next summer.

The Championship has become the home of many high-profile stars and upcoming talents in recent seasons, and such a trend is continuing once again in 2025/26.

In what has been dubbed as one of the most exciting second-tier campaigns for many years, the division's transfer record for an incoming was broken by Ipswich Town, with the Tractor Boys acquiring Sindre Walle Egeli for £17.5m, whilst the likes of Sverre Nypan, Jens Cajuste, Kyogo Furuhashi, David Strelec and Malick Yalcouye all made eye-catching transfer switches of their own

Despite the summer transfer window drawing to a close, there is still scope for the aforementioned trend to continue, with as many as four sides in the division linked with moves for former PFA Young Player of the Year and 37-time international attacking midfielder, Dele Alli, on a free transfer.

One of those clubs comes in the form of West Bromwich Albion, who remain unbeaten under the newly-appointed Ryan Mason in what is the 34-year-old's first managerial role after previously working as an assistant at Tottenham Hotspur.

However, as much as a move for Alli would cast further eyes on developments at The Hawthorns, it would present Mason with a major dilemma involving the Baggies' star performer so far this season.

Dele Alli linked with potential West Bromwich Albion transfer amid Birmingham City, Wrexham competition

Alli's career trajectory has been well-documented at length, with the 29-year-old playmaker bursting onto the Premier League stage with Tottenham after lighting up the League One stage with hometown club, MK Dons.

Despite racking up 269 appearances for the North London club under Mauricio Pochettino, José Mourinho and Mason - during his brief spell as interim boss - Alli has only played 29 times since the summer of 2022 for Everton, Besiktas and most recently, Como.

After signing an 18-month contract with the Italian side in January, which saw him play for just nine minutes against AC Milan, the former England international's contract was terminated by mutual consent last week, leading to speculation of a potential Championship move.

Unsurprisingly, the equally ambitious and big-spending duo of Birmingham City and Wrexham have been mooted as potential destinations as well as Swansea City - with investor Luka Modrić reportedly involved in transfer discussions - and Albion, with Alli and Mason previously having the connection of being teammates and colleagues at White Hart Lane and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Indeed, after starring for Spurs in a 2-0 success over West Brom's local rivals, Wolves, in May 2021, the current Baggies boss sung the praises of a rejuvenated Alli, stating: "But for me, Dele was excellent. I don't really like singling out players but it's hard not to.

"I'm sure everyone felt it. He ran, he pressed, he created opportunities. I'm sure he's disappointed he didn't get a goal himself but it was an excellent No 10 performance, so I'm really pleased."

Alli skipped the Championship during his rapid rise to young stardom 10 years ago, with Spurs acquiring his services as an 18-year-old for just £5m back in January 2015, just months before MK Dons were promoted to the second-tier for the first time ever.

There is no doubt that the capture of such a talented performer - who is eager to resurrect his career after a stagnant three-year period in which personal issues have come to light - ahead of potential promotion rivals, would be a major coup for Albion on a free transfer.

However, it begs the question as to how it would impact Isaac Price, who is currently flourishing for club and country in an advanced midfield role.

Potential West Brom, Dele Alli agreement would present Ryan Mason with Isaac Price dilemma

Similarly to the potential signing of Alli, Albion have been praised at length for the signing of Isaac Price back in January, with the Northern Ireland international becoming a standout performer in B71.

The Everton academy graduate was signed from Standard Liege under Tony Mowbray, yet it is Mason who is truly reaping the rewards of such a shrewd transfer agreement.

Following his move to the West Midlands in the winter, Price was utilised in an array of positions, predominantly featuring on the right side of midfield or at right-back, as well as showcasing his strong technical ability with a fine volley against Hull City in March.

However, with Mason now at the helm, the 21-year-old has found himself in an advanced role in the centre of the park with Jed Wallace and Mikey Johnston, most notably, either side of him, and the new boss couldn't have asked for a better start to the season, with Price scoring three times and posting an assist in the opening four games.

He has also featured in said role for Northern Ireland in World Cup Qualifiers against Luxembourg and Germany most recently, becoming the country's youngest player to hit double figures in terms of goals during Sunday's 3-1 defeat in Cologne.

The Pontefract-born man exudes confidence at present, which is only a further boost to West Brom's promotion bid, which continues on Saturday against Derby County.

Therefore, whilst reuniting with Alli would be an ideal scenario for Mason, who clearly knows the character in question more than most, it doesn't necessarily guarantee immediate minutes from the off, unless Price's versatility was to be used once again, albeit it could make Albion's prized asset less effective.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

West Bromwich Albion have been warned against pursuing a swoop for former Tottenham Hotspur and England international sensation Dele Alli, who has recently become a free agent following his release from Italian outfit Como.

The Baggies have enjoyed an impressive start to the 2025/26 Championship campaign under head coach Ryan Mason, winning three of their opening four games to propel to second in the league standings behind Rob Edwards' Middlesbrough.

It comes following a busy summer transfer window at the Hawthorns, which saw West Brom sanction high-profile sales for Tom Fellows and Torbjorn Heggem while strengthening Mason's squad by acquiring the likes of George Campbell, Krystian Bielik, Alfie Gilchrist, Aune Heggebo, Samuel Iling-Junior and Chris Mepham.

However, it would appear that, despite the closure of the window last Monday, West Brom remain interested in adding to their squad by bringing in free agents. And one just could be Dele, who has recently been linked to the Baggies, alongside free-spending Championship rivals to Wrexham, by a report from the Daily Mail.

A return to England could be a possibility for Dele, having recently seen his contract terminated by Cesc Fabregas' Como.

The attacking midfielder, now aged 29, has endured a troubling few years both on and off-the-pitch, and he only ever managed 8 minutes of action for Como before being sent off in his first and only appearance following difficult spells with Everton and Besiktas after leaving Spurs in January 2022.

Once billed as English football's premiere prodigy, Dele famously broke onto the scene with Spurs following his arrival from MK Dons and scored 67 goals from nearly 300 appearances during his time in North London, having also racked up 37 England caps. However, his career has been on the decline for a number of years now, with Dele once again left to assess his options as a free agent.

West Brom urged against beating Wrexham to potential Dele Alli transfer

Football League World asked our West Brom fan pundit, Callum Burgess, whether he believes Mason - who both played alongside and coached Dele at Spurs - should consider taking a punt on the former wonderkid, or if there are too many red flags to make it a worthwhile signing for the promotion hopefuls.

Fitness and match readiness represent perhaps the most pertinent concerns, of course, with Dele having played very little football since his exit from Spurs.

And, in Callum's view, there are simply "too many red flags" attached to a deal for Dele, citing the midfielder's struggles for both form and fitness as clear warning signs.

"Everyone knows about the talent that Dele Alli possesses and it's certainly a shame the way his career has panned out," Callum told FLW.

"It didn't seem that he was able to get things going at Como, he got sent off in his first appearance and I think he'll be looking to join a club where he can have a fresh start in a new environment and kick on in his career.

"But certainly, I think with the risks that are attached — his form over the last few years and his fitness as well as his struggles towards the end of his time at Everton after his loan with Besiktas — it's highly, highly unlikely that we'll see the Dele Alli of old return ever again.

"There are too many risks that are attached to a potential signing, his wage demands would have to drop down because he'll be running out of options. I just think there are too many red flags attached to a deal, unfortunately."

Dele Alli, West Brom transfer could be a punt worth taking on one key condition

Callum is right to identify and explain the visible red flags which would accompany any potential deal for Dele, who is some years away from even playing consistent first-team football — never mind exhibiting his best form — and the possibility of a resurgence on that front is only decreasing as the weeks, months and years toil on.

It's a sobering fall from grace, particularly in consideration of Dele's well-documented struggles all the way from childhood away from the pitch, and he needs to ensure that his next destination, should he wish to continue his footballing career, is somewhere that he will receive time, patience, and love-in as he pushes for a return to playing regularly.

Whether West Brom, who have designs on competing for promotion in a unforgiving and unrelenting 46-game slog of a season in the Championship, can realistically offer that is open for debate, but Dele's natural gifts most certainly aren't and they will still leave clubs, to this very day, wondering if they can crack the code and get him back firing on all cylinders once again.

The unfortunate reality is that Dele's days of footballing stardom are now long behind him, but talent doesn't simply vanish and he still has the ability — if both his body and his mind are in the right place, of course — to light up the Championship. And that's why the Baggies perhaps should not rubbish the possibility of making a move to bring him back to English shores, although offering a pay-as-you-play deal may be the only way to navigate it while minimising the unavoidable risks.

It's not clear just how ready Dele is, and how much football his body is capable of playing these days, but such a deal would prevent West Brom from forking out presumably high wages to a player with lingering question marks and one who has featured scarcely in recent times.

Of course, the conditional basis of a pay-as-you-play contract may not be quite so appealing to Dele, but he's going to have to make some sacrifices if he intends on a return to playing and, with his fresh Como struggles firmly in mind, this could turn out to be his best option at this stage of his career.

Birmingham City, West Brom and Wrexham have all been linked with a shock move for out-of-contract midfielder Dele Ali.

This is according to the Daily Mail, who believe the ex-England international could be making a return to his homeland after a brief and unsuccessful stint in Italy with Como.

The 29-year-old has failed to hit the promising heights he once had after breaking through at Spurs.

After leaving the North London outfit in 2022, he made 13 appearances for Everton before making a switch overseas to Turkey with Besiktas, playing just 13 league games too.

He continued his stay abroad by moving to Italy with Como, but he only made one appearance in Serie A, which resulted in a red card 10 minutes into his debut.

This led to manager Cesc Fàbregas banishing him from their training camp this summer and his contract was terminated.

In fact, it’s approaching three years since Ali last played 90 minutes in a game, with personal struggles getting in the way of him kicking on and establishing himself as one of the world’s top players.

This would be a gamble for any football club to take on, but the likes of Birmingham, West Brom and Wrexham see it as a risk worth pursuing given his previous credentials and a need to play regular first-team football as he hits the reset button on his career.

Birmingham City, West Brom and Wrexham eye Dele Ali swoop

As per a report by the Daily Mail, Championship trio Birmingham City, West Brom and Wrexham are all interested in a shock move for midfielder Dele Ali, who remains a free agent following his release from Italian side Como.

The report has detailed that Ali has been going through a lot of personal battles recently, dealing with the death of long-term friend George Baldock, while his relationship with partner Cindy Kimberly recently came to an end.

But it now appears the former England international is ready to put football back to the forefront of his mind and ply his trade in the second-tier, despite reports earlier in this summer revealing that he was considering retirement.

It is believed Ali would be in favour of making a move to any of the clubs, with Birmingham City and Wrexham appealing options given their well-documented rises through significant American investment, while Albion are also American-owned with Shilen Patel and are battling at the top end of the division.

And Albion boss Ryan Mason could have the pulling power to force Ali’s hand over a move.

Mason has had previous experience of managing Ali during his interim stints as Spurs boss, bringing him into his plans after he had previously been frozen out by José Mourinho.

The writer of the report, Luke Power, believes the best fit for Ali would be at The Hawthorns, where there would be less scrutiny, but for now, it is all talk, and no concrete offers have been made.

Signing Dele Ali could be a gamble worth taking on one condition

There’s no doubt that signing someone like Dele Ali would be a huge gamble.

The former England wonderkid has failed to play any regular football over the last three years, struggling with injuries as well as his personal battles off the field.

But there’s no doubt he’s still an immensely talented footballer. He just needs the right environment and support system to help him get his life back on track and to do his talking on the pitch consistently.

And if any of the Championship clubs were to lure him into a move, then it must be on a pay-as-you-play contract.

That would ensure a club would be getting the maximum effort out of him to stay fit and play regularly, as well as benefiting the team by allowing him to showcase his qualities and help a club fight towards promotion to the Premier League.

If Ali arrives in the Championship, it would be one of the biggest signings the second-tier has ever witnessed, and it could be the perfect place to reinvigorate himself and allow the 29-year-old to get on an upwards trajectory after so many lows.