Dele Alli will not be making a return to MK Dons, according to head coach Paul Warne, but interest from Spain could yet offer the former England international a route back into football.
The 29-year-old has been without a club since early September, when his contract with Serie A side Como was mutually terminated. His time in Italy proved brief and difficult, lasting just eight months and yielding only a single appearance under head coach Cesc Fàbregas.
That lone outing came in March and lasted just nine minutes. Making his first competitive appearance in 748 days, Dele was sent off late on after fouling England teammate Ruben Loftus-Cheek during Como’s 2–1 defeat to AC Milan. It was his first match since featuring for Beşiktaş in February 2023.
Following the dismissal, Dele found himself on the fringes of the squad and never re-established himself, leading to the early end of his 18-month deal last summer. Reports from Italy subsequently suggested he was considering retirement, though the 37-cap England international quickly played down those claims.
Speculation then emerged linking Dele with a return to MK Dons, where he made his professional debut at 16 and scored 24 goals in 88 appearances before earning a move to Tottenham in 2015. However, Warne dismissed the rumours outright, insisting there was “no truth” in the reports and joking that Dele had not made any contact with the club.
With that option ruled out, Dele is once again weighing up his next move after a series of setbacks in his attempts to revive his career. European football expert Andy Brassell told talkSPORT.com that his spell at Como was ill-suited from the outset.
Dele rose to prominence at Tottenham, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award in both 2016 and 2017 and playing a key role in Spurs’ run to the 2019 Champions League final. However, following that defeat to Liverpool and the departure of Mauricio Pochettino, his career began to stall.
A move to Everton in 2022 failed to reignite his form, with injuries and off-field problems limiting him to just 13 appearances. By the time he joined Como in January 2025, he had not played competitive football for nearly two years. Although he spoke candidly about childhood trauma in a 2023 interview with Gary Neville, his move to Italy was seen as a fresh start.
Brassell explained that while Italy has helped several Premier League players rebuild their careers, Como was the wrong environment for Dele. The club’s focus on youth, combined with the emergence of Nico Paz — whom Dele was signed to understudy — meant opportunities were always likely to be scarce. With a clear pecking order and limited chances to play, breaking back into form became increasingly difficult.
Attention has now turned to Spain as a possible next destination. LaLiga sides Real Oviedo, Sevilla, Elche and Getafe are all reportedly exploring the possibility of offering Dele a short-term deal. Brassell believes those clubs represent the right level for the midfielder at this stage of his career, suggesting that if Dele can rediscover his fitness and confidence, he could still make an impact in the Spanish top flight.
