What Next for Dele Alli as Como Ditch Ex-Spurs Star After Just Nine Minutes on the Pitch?

What is next for Dele Alli? The career of a player that for so long promised so much has suffered yet another disappointing setback.

A player who was once chased by the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid is now a free agent after being released by Serie A side Como on a busy transfer deadline day.

Former Tottenham star Dele was a Como player for 225 days, but made only one first-team appearance under manager Cesc Fabregas. That appearance, during a 2-1 defeat at AC Milan in Serie A in March, lasted just nine minutes and ended with him being shown a red card.

Now he has been shown the door after Como said farewell in a joint statement published on Monday evening. It read: “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 Alli’s career: Highs to lows

Dele burst onto the scene at Tottenham after arriving from MK Dons in 2015. Under Mauricio Pochettino he quickly established himself as one of the brightest talents in the Premier League. He scored 10 goals and supplied 10 assists in his debut top-flight season, then improved on that with 22 goals and 13 assists in 2016–17. His performances earned him back-to-back PFA Young Player of the Year awards.

At international level, he played 37 times for England and famously scored in the 2018 World Cup quarter-final against Sweden. By the time Spurs reached the Champions League final in 2019, Dele had already amassed more than 200 appearances for the club and was regarded as one of Europe’s most exciting midfielders.

But the arrival of Jose Mourinho at Tottenham proved a turning point. In the All or Nothing documentary filmed at Spurs, the Portuguese coach labelled him “a lazy guy in training” in front of his teammates. Dele later revealed Mourinho privately apologised a week later after seeing his true work ethic, but the damage was done. The clip went viral and the “lazy” tag stuck, potentially providing an easy excuse for future managers to sideline him.

He eventually left Spurs for Everton in January 2022 on a deal structured with no initial fee but with significant add-ons based on appearances. Those triggers were never met, as Dele struggled for fitness and form. A loan move to Besiktas in 2022–23 was supposed to give him a fresh start, but it turned sour after injuries and a public fallout with the Turkish club’s coach. He returned to England injured, further stalling his career.

What went wrong for Dele Alli at Como?

When Como offered Dele an 18-month contract in January, it was billed as a fresh start under manager Cesc Fabregas. Yet it ended almost as quickly as it began. Dele made just one competitive appearance, coming on as an 81st-minute substitute against AC Milan in March — only to be sent off nine minutes later.

Since then, he was named in four consecutive matchday squads but never left the bench. Fabregas eventually explained his stance in blunt terms: “I play those who train well and earn a spot during the week. Dele Alli needs to keep working. He had his chance in Milan, but was sent off and then got injured. When the right time comes, it just comes.”

That pointed message left little doubt that the Spaniard was unimpressed.

What next for Dele Alli?

The timing of his release is particularly significant. The 2026 World Cup kicks off at the end of this season, and Dele has repeatedly made clear that a return to England duty is his driving ambition.

In his emotional 2023 interview with Gary Neville — a chat that saw him discuss an addiction to sleeping pills, as well as childhood abuse — he first stated his hope of forcing a way back into the Three Lions squad in time for next summer’s tournament in North America.

He then doubled down as recently as April, telling Como’s media team: “I’m definitely not done yet. I’m a very ambitious person. I’m hungrier than I have ever been… I think I’ve made it clear before that one of my closest goals is to be in the squad for the next World Cup in 2026. That is still my aim.”

Those words now look increasingly unrealistic. Dele’s most recent England cap came back in 2019, and since then his career has lurched from one setback to another. With just nine minutes of competitive football played in the past two years, his dream of making Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the World Cup seems further away than ever.

As a free agent, Dele can still sign for a new club despite the summer transfer window closing on September 1. A return to English football could be on the cards, but it is hard to see any Premier League teams willing to take a punt at this stage.

Perhaps a return to MK Dons, where he came through the youth ranks and first burst onto the scene, might be a more realistic option. Dele’s hometown club are currently in League Two.

Retirement has also been mooted by some pundits, but Como’s statement made clear that Dele still wants to play.