Dele Alli is heading back to Tottenham, with the ex-England international set to make a special appearance at his former club. The 29-year-old midfielder is currently a free agent, with enticing offers being waited on after severing ties with Serie A side Como. Dele will be a guest of Spurs when they face arch-rivals Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday.
Dele joined Tottenham in 2015 after seeing his obvious potential noted at boyhood club MK Dons. He settled quickly among the Premier League elite and became a two-time PFA Young Player of the Year.
He hit 67 goals for Spurs through 269 appearances, while earning 37 caps for the Three Lions. Dele took on a new challenge when joining Everton in 2022, with struggles for form and fitness being endured since then.
He remains a fan favourite among Spurs supporters, and will be back in familiar surroundings when Arsenal pay a visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. An official statement on the club’s official website reads: “Dele returns to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday as our special guest for the north London derby.
“One of the most popular players of the modern era – 67 goals in 269 appearances in all competitions – the attacking midfielder won the hearts of Spurs fans over his seven years in Lilywhite, 2015-22. It says it all that his song ‘we’ve got Dele…’ was the first sung by fans at the new stadium, ahead of opening night against Palace in April, 2019.
“Supporters will be able to serenade him again at half-time on Sunday, when he will no doubt reminisce about some magical Spurs memories with Paul Coyte.”
Dele would prefer not to have a break in his schedule that allows a return to north London to be taken in. He was released by Como in September 2025 – having taken in just one substitute appearance for them that delivered a red card – and has been a free agent ever since.
He has been warned that it will not be easy to land another contract after seeing limited game time over the last three years. Ex-Spurs defender Stephan Carr has told GOAL of Dele’s bid to find a new club: “It’s scary how he’s fallen. He’s only 29, just gone past being in his peak, but the amount of football he has played in the last few years is very low.
“It’s very hard. It’s no different to when you get injured, you do all the training and getting back fit takes time. He’s missed a lot of football. The way he sounds, it seems he still has the hunger. But his chances are getting very slim now.
“Whether somebody else gives him an opportunity… He is a top player, has played for England, but that’s the past now. It’s about now and he hasn’t been playing, hasn’t been performing. It is last chance saloon for him. Whether he gets another very good opportunity, or whether his desire is there…
“Wherever he ends up, he isn’t going to get to pick. It could be a trial where you have to prove it. It’s whether he has the stomach for that. I’ve done it myself, going for a trial. For me, it didn’t bother me. It’s very difficult, it’s a different situation. I don’t know the lad, his personality or the people around him. He has fallen from grace dramatically. It’s very difficult to get back in. I know your head says it, but his body won’t be saying it because he hasn’t played in so long and he’s not used to it.”
Dele has been trying to stay positive, having been linked with teams in the United Kingdom and Spain, with videos being posted on social media of the individual training programmes that he continues to work through.
He will be hoping to see Tottenham pick up three points against their fiercest rivals on Sunday, with Igor Tudor taking in his first game at the helm since being appointed as interim successor to Thomas Frank. Spurs sit 16th in the Premier League table, five points above the relegation zone.
