Dele Alli 'looking for a new club' after being banished from Como squad by Cesc Fabregas - amid claims former Tottenham star was 'considering retirement'
This news comes after reports in Italy stated that the former England international was contemplating retirement at just 29 years old, following a turbulent half-decade in football.
Dele is training away from Como's squad as they prepare for their preseason camp in Marbella, and now appears to be a surplus to requirements at the Serie A club, just months after joining from Everton.
Nevertheless, Dele still wants to continue his playing career, while Como have told him he must do so elsewhere, according to The Telegraph.
The former Tottenham star made just one appearance for the club, which last just nine minutes.
After coming off the bench for his debut in March, he was sent off for a challenge on fellow English midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
It remains to be seen what level Dele continues his football career at, but a move to a Premier League club would certainly be an unlikely lifeline.
Dele's exit from Como marks another sobering chapter in a career that once promised so much.
He burst onto the scene as a teenage sensation at MK Dons before securing a move to Spurs in 2015, where he won back-to-back PFA Young Player of the Year awards.
Aged 22, he starred for England at the 2018 World Cup, helping the Three Lions reach the semi-finals.
However, following the departure of Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs, Dele struggled to win the trust of successive managers and was eventually shipped out to Everton in 2022.
A loan move to Besiktas followed but was cut short due to injury and disciplinary issues.
Dele has previously spoken about the mental toll his career has taken, bravely opening up in an emotional interview in 2023 about childhood trauma and his struggles with addiction.
He explained that he had been molested at the age of six, started smoking and dealing drugs by eight, and had attempted to take his own life during his darkest moments.
The midfielder revealed in early 2024 that he had been targeting a spot at the 2026 World Cup with England as he looks at an eventual return to international football.
Dele previously starred as an England regular and played at Euro 2016 and the World Cup in Russia two years later, but hasn't featured since making his 37th international appearance six years ago.
'You know you can set reminders on your phone, I have a reminder at 11 o'clock every day that says, "World Cup 2026",' he said on Sky Sports in April last year. 'That's my aim for now. I think that people will be like, "he hasn't played in a year" but I don't care, I know my level.
'The only target I have is the World Cup right now. Obviously I'm injured and contracted to Everton and so my mind is just about taking it day by day and making sure my injury is healed and that I'm in the best possible condition after the summer.
'It's annoying because I'll be just fully training as the season ends so it means that I won't have to rush it.'
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