Reports on Monday suggest that former England international Dele Alli will begin training with Serie A side Como on boxing day, as he looks to regain fitness ahead of his next return to professional football.
Alli, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Besiktas, was in attendance as Como inflicted a 2-0 defeat upon a troubled Roma side in Serie A on Monday. Cesc Fabregas also admitted that there is a possibility that the Englishman starts training with the club in the near future.
Now, according to reports from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Alli will start training with Como on December 26.
The offer to train with the club does not guarantee that a contract will be offered to the 28-year-old. That will instead depend on performances in training.
🚨🔵 Dele Alli will start training with Como on day 26, all scheduled with the Italian club and coach Cesc Fabregas.
Como hope he can prove his fitness and join the team, although is not guaranteed now and will depend on performances.
🏴 Dele was in attendance @ Como yesterday. pic.twitter.com/IceT77TXFH
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 16, 2024
Dele Alli background
Dele burst onto the scene in the Premier League following his move to Tottenham from MK Dons back in 2015. He netted 10 goals during his first season in the top flight and was twice named as the PFA Young Player of the Year.
His start to life with the England national team started brightly, too, scoring from long range on his first start for the senior side in an eventual 2-0 victory over France at Wembley.
However, his form eventually hit a decline, which became particularly apparent following the appointment of Jose Mourinho in 2019. That decline continued during the tenures of Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.
Eventually, he was allowed to leave Tottenham in order to join Everton, then coached by Frank Lampard.
Battling with issues off the pitch, Dele never quite regained his form in the Premier League, nor in Türkiye when he joined Besiktas on loan in 2022-23. He has now been without a club since the summer of 2024.
