Como head coach Cesc Fabregas has given his thoughts on Dele Alli training with the Serie A outfit as he nears a return to competitive football.
Dele, 28, has been without a club since his contract with Everton expired after the 2023/24 season.
However, the Merseyside club allowed him to continue to use their facilities at Finch Farm training ground during his rehabilitation from a persistent groin injury, which he had surgery on.
The former England international has not featured in a competitive game since playing for Besiktas in a 0-0 draw against Antalyaspor.
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However, he was spotted in the stands of Como’s Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia during the side’s 2-0 win over Roma on December 15.
Five days later, he issued an update on his future via a statement posted to his Instagram account in which he voiced how “grateful” he was for the support Everton have shown him.
"As widely published this week, 2025 may set me on a new path with some exciting opportunities,” read the statement.
“Before any of that happens, it’s very important for me to make clear how grateful I am of all the fans, staff and players at Everton FC for the support they have given me.
"It’s been an incredibly tough journey trying to put the final pieces together to regain match fitness, and I cannot thank the Everton staff enough for the hard work they have put into this process.
"Unfortunately, things haven’t worked out as we all would have hoped, and I think it’s the right time for me to turn a new page. I want to wish everyone at this amazing club the very best of luck and hopefully, we will see each other again soon."
Since then, he has been heavily linked with a move to the Serie A outfit with Fabregas, 37, explaining how Dele is “training well” despite being away from the first-team set-up, according to Football Italia.
“He [Dele]’s training well,” Fabregas explained during a press conference on Saturday.
“It’s a request from the club. Perhaps he’ll do something with the rest of the team next week. He’s only here to train at the moment; we are here to help him get in shape and have positive feelings.
“He was a fantastic player; I played against him many times. I’m glad if I can help him rediscover himself.”
Although he has struggled to get fit in recent years, there’s no doubting Dele’s talent, with his peak coming during his time at Spurs, where he was named the PFA Young Player of the Year in 2017.
If he were to sign for the Northern Italian outfit, he would link up with former Liverpool duo Pepe Reina and Alberto Moreno, Barcelona legend Sergi Roberto and veteran forward Andrea Belotti.
Topics: Dele Alli, Cesc Fabregas, Everton, Transfers, Serie A, Football
Luke Davies