Italian media make feelings clear on Dele Alli as former Spurs star 'considers retirement' amid Como issues

Italian media have given their verdict on Dele Alli as rumours suggest the former England international is considering retirement from professional football.

Dele burst onto the scene when he joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2015 for £5m from MK Dons.

The attacking midfielder starred for his first couple of seasons at the North London club, forcing his way into the England set-up and becoming an important player under Gareth Southgate.

However, his influence at Spurs began to wane following the departure of Mauricio Pochettino and he became increasingly a peripheral figure at the club under both Jose Mourinho and subsequently Antonio Conte.

Dele departed Spurs for Everton in January 2022 and he spent a campaign on loan at Turkish side Besiktas, before his contract at Goodison Park expired in the summer of 2024, though he would continue to train with the Toffees to continue his rehabilitation work.

Dele signed for Cesc Fabregas's side Como in January on an 18-month contract with an option for a further year.

The former England international - who has 37 caps for the Three Lions and three goals - has been open about problems he has experienced away from the pitch.

He revealed in 2023 he had been sexually abused as a child and began dealing drugs in his youth, as well as spending time in rehab after his time at Besiktas ended for mental health issues and a sleeping pill addiction.

Dele Alli. (Image: Getty)

Dele has only one appearance under his belt for Como which came in mid-March in Serie A against AC Milan, but one which saw him sent off after only nine minutes on the pitch after coming off the bench.

He was dismissed following a challenge on Ruben Loftus-Cheek and VAR opted to upgrade his initial yellow card to a red.

He made the Como matchday squad often during the second half of last season, but until now he has only played for the Italian club once.

It has been widely reported that Dele is considering retirement and La Gazzetta dello Sport has reported that the former Spurs man is part of a group of players training away from the main Como first-team squad.

The piece in the Italian publication reads: "What happened to Dele Alli? Left out of the Como squad, he's considering leaving."

The headline also makes reference to the sending off Dele experienced against AC Milan and outlines Fabregas being critical of him after that, plus the options the Como boss has available to him in that area of the pitch including Martin Baturina, Nico Paz and Lucas Da Cunha.

The report continues: "Dele now trains with a large contingent of Como players who aren't currently on the roster. And he ponders whether the time has truly come to say enough."