‘No truth’ – Dele Alli return to former club ruled out but shock LaLiga strugglers offer lifeline

Dele Alli won’t be returning to MK Dons, according to head coach Paul Warne, but four clubs in Spain are keen on throwing him a lifeline.

The 29-year-old has been without a club since having his contract at Serie A side Como terminated at the start of September.

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The former Tottenham and Everton star lasted just eight months in Italy and made only one appearance under Cesc Fabregas last season.

However, his first competitive appearance in 748 days ended after just nine minutes as he was shown a straight red card last March.

Having not featured at all since playing for Turkish club Besiktas in February 2023, Dele came off the bench in Como’s 2-1 defeat to AC Milan, but was sent off in stoppage time for fouling England team-mate Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

He was then left on the fringes by Como manager Fabregas as a result, and his 18-month deal was terminated last summer.

Reports from Italy claimed Dele was contemplating retirement, but the 37-cap England international soon cast those rumours aside.

The attacking midfielder has since been linked with a return to MK Dons, the club where he made his professional debut aged 16.

‘No truth’ to Dele Alli return to MK Dons

Dele scored 24 goals in 88 appearances for the Dons, who currently sit just two points behind the League Two automatic promotion places, before making his move to Spurs in 2015.

But EFL boss Warne shot down those reports, telling the Citizen: “I haven’t heard anything about that.

“There is absolutely no truth to it, unless I leave here and the owner pulls me aside!

“I’ve heard nothing, I’ve not spoken to him, we don’t know each other, we don’t have phone numbers, there’s no text banter.

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“I’ve not seen him on the training pitch, he’s not asked to come and walk my dog!

“If you want to come here, it doesn’t matter if you’re one of the best players this club has ever had; you’ve still got to at least try and get on my good side!

“I don’t know who started that rumour, but it’s crazy season.”

Dele is now back to the drawing board when plotting his next move, having endured several challenges in his attempts to revive his career.

European football expert Andy Brassell exclusively told talkSPORT.com that Como was just entirely the wrong club for him.

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‘Dele in Italy should have worked’

Dele cultivated a reputation as one of England’s most promising young players at Spurs, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award in both 2016 and 2017, before being an integral part of the team that reached the club’s only Champions League final in 2019.

Yet months after that 2-0 defeat to Liverpool, his manager, Mauricio Pochettino, left the Lilywhites, and his career started unravelling.

He moved to Everton in 2022, but managed just 13 appearances for the Toffees, following a succession of injuries and off-field issues.

Prior to joining Como, Dele had not played competitive football for nearly two years since appearing in a 0-0 draw against Antalyaspor in February 2023 while on loan at Besiktas.

That July, he detailed his harrowing childhood trauma that curtailed his rise during an emotional interview with Gary Neville, but he looked to be on the comeback trail when he signed for Como in January 2025.

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“If you look at Dele in Italy, it should have worked, or at least should have had a good chance of working,” Brassell told talkSPORT.com.

“Because if you look at so many of the players who’ve gone off course in the Premier League, where they’ve been able to rebuild themselves in recent years in Italy.

“I guess the difference is he was coming out of an incredibly difficult personal situation and a lot of pressure. And he’s had a long time dealing with injury.

“I think the other problem, really, is that Como was completely the wrong club for him, because if you look at how Como are built, it’s around, mainly around young players.

“He was only ever signed as the understudy to Nico Paz. That’s what Cesc Fabregas said. Now, Paz is one of the best players in the league, and you’re never getting past him – So, you’re never getting a game.

“So, it’s really difficult. You need to find yourself that sort of middling place where you’ve got a chance of playing games.

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“And if you can never get in the team, how are you ever going to recover your optimum form and fitness?

“There was a glass ceiling for him that he obviously couldn’t get past.”

Dele Alli next club: LaLiga transfer?

Spanish football has been touted as a possible landing spot for Dele, who has played professionally in England, Turkey and Italy.

Real Oviedo (20th), Sevilla (15), Elche (13) and Getafe (17) are all said to have been in touch over potentially offering out a short-term deal.

Brassell added to talkSPORT: “Now, if we assume that Dele Alli was still keen to be and able to be a top-level footballer, I think those clubs in Spain are the sort of level where he should be pitching.

“Obviously, at his very best, he could do a good job for any of those.

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“Now, I think Sevilla is an interesting one because you look at them and they’re a club with enormous success in the 21st century.”

Sevilla an ‘interesting’ choice for Dele

“It’s a great place to play football,” Brassell continued. “The fans are brilliant. The stadium is brilliant. A bit old-fashioned, but brilliant.

“They are a long way off getting themselves back into Europe. So, that removes that sort of pressure, I suppose…

“The sort of peace and quiet that you get to get on with it, that’s something he didn’t genuinely have at Como, because Como are a big noise, they’re an interesting new project, they’re aiming to be very international, and they’re succeeding in that as well.

“And they’ve got Cesc Fabregas in charge. All of those things mean he can’t really do what he needed to do quietly.

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“Whereas I think if you look down at those other clubs, where you look at Elche or Getafe, where Mason Greenwood, of course, rebuilt himself in very different circumstances for very different reasons.

“To me, I think you’re getting less scrutiny, which is potentially helpful.”