Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, Dele Alli, is reportedly contemplating early retirement at just 29 years old after learning he is not part of Como manager Cesc Fabregas’ plans for the upcoming 2025–26 Serie A campaign.
Once regarded as one of England’s brightest talents, Alli’s career has been on a steady decline since leaving Spurs for Everton in 2021.
Despite hopes of a revival, his time at Goodison Park was marred by inconsistency, and a loan move to Turkish side Besiktas during the 2022–23 season failed to reignite his form.
In 2023–24, Everton gave him another opportunity by allowing him to train with the first team, but persistent injury woes meant he couldn’t break back into the squad.
He parted ways with the club in 2024, before being offered a lifeline by newly-promoted Serie A side Como, under the stewardship of former teammate Cesc Fabregas.
However, that chapter also began on a sour note. Alli was shown a red card just ten minutes into his debut for Como after coming off the bench and committing a reckless tackle on Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Since that incident, he has not featured again for the Italian club. According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Mirror), he has now been “banished” from Fabregas’ first-team plans ahead of the new season.
The report stated Alli is currently training away from the main group and evaluating his options, with very few realistic pathways left in top-tier football.
Premier League fans will remember the midfielder’s dazzling performances in a Spurs shirt, especially during the 2016–17 campaign when he netted 18 league goals to help Mauricio Pochettino’s side finish runners-up.
His personal challenges were highlighted in Tottenham’s All or Nothing documentary during the 2019–20 season. In one revealing scene, then-manager Jose Mourinho criticised Alli’s training attitude, telling him bluntly that he will “regret” not fulfilling his full potential.
Meanwhile, Alli also faced scrutiny off the pitch in earlier years, including an FA investigation after he appeared to mock the coronavirus pandemic in a social media post.
From England’s great hope to an uncertain future, Dele Alli’s story serves as a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in professional football.