West Brom warned against beating Wrexham AFC to Dele Alli transfer - there are "too many red flags" | OneFootball

Football League World's West Bromwich Albion fan pundit has reacted to reports linking the Baggies with a move for ex-Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

West Bromwich Albion have been warned against pursuing a swoop for former Tottenham Hotspur and England international sensation Dele Alli, who has recently become a free agent following his release from Italian outfit Como.

The Baggies have enjoyed an impressive start to the 2025/26 Championship campaign under head coach Ryan Mason, winning three of their opening four games to propel to second in the league standings behind Rob Edwards' Middlesbrough.

It comes following a busy summer transfer window at the Hawthorns, which saw West Brom sanction high-profile sales for Tom Fellows and Torbjorn Heggem while strengthening Mason's squad by acquiring the likes of George Campbell, Krystian Bielik, Alfie Gilchrist, Aune Heggebo, Samuel Iling-Junior and Chris Mepham.

However, it would appear that, despite the closure of the window last Monday, West Brom remain interested in adding to their squad by bringing in free agents. And one just could be Dele, who has recently been linked to the Baggies, alongside free-spending Championship rivals to Wrexham, by a report from the Daily Mail.

A return to England could be a possibility for Dele, having recently seen his contract terminated by Cesc Fabregas' Como.

The attacking midfielder, now aged 29, has endured a troubling few years both on and off-the-pitch, and he only ever managed 8 minutes of action for Como before being sent off in his first and only appearance following difficult spells with Everton and Besiktas after leaving Spurs in January 2022.

Once billed as English football's premiere prodigy, Dele famously broke onto the scene with Spurs following his arrival from MK Dons and scored 67 goals from nearly 300 appearances during his time in North London, having also racked up 37 England caps. However, his career has been on the decline for a number of years now, with Dele once again left to assess his options as a free agent.

West Brom urged against beating Wrexham to potential Dele Alli transfer

Football League World asked our West Brom fan pundit, Callum Burgess, whether he believes Mason - who both played alongside and coached Dele at Spurs - should consider taking a punt on the former wonderkid, or if there are too many red flags to make it a worthwhile signing for the promotion hopefuls.

Fitness and match readiness represent perhaps the most pertinent concerns, of course, with Dele having played very little football since his exit from Spurs.

And, in Callum's view, there are simply "too many red flags" attached to a deal for Dele, citing the midfielder's struggles for both form and fitness as clear warning signs.

"Everyone knows about the talent that Dele Alli possesses and it's certainly a shame the way his career has panned out," Callum told FLW.

"It didn't seem that he was able to get things going at Como, he got sent off in his first appearance and I think he'll be looking to join a club where he can have a fresh start in a new environment and kick on in his career.

"But certainly, I think with the risks that are attached — his form over the last few years and his fitness as well as his struggles towards the end of his time at Everton after his loan with Besiktas — it's highly, highly unlikely that we'll see the Dele Alli of old return ever again.

"There are too many risks that are attached to a potential signing, his wage demands would have to drop down because he'll be running out of options. I just think there are too many red flags attached to a deal, unfortunately."

Dele Alli, West Brom transfer could be a punt worth taking on one key condition

Callum is right to identify and explain the visible red flags which would accompany any potential deal for Dele, who is some years away from even playing consistent first-team football — never mind exhibiting his best form — and the possibility of a resurgence on that front is only decreasing as the weeks, months and years toil on.

It's a sobering fall from grace, particularly in consideration of Dele's well-documented struggles all the way from childhood away from the pitch, and he needs to ensure that his next destination, should he wish to continue his footballing career, is somewhere that he will receive time, patience, and love-in as he pushes for a return to playing regularly.

Whether West Brom, who have designs on competing for promotion in a unforgiving and unrelenting 46-game slog of a season in the Championship, can realistically offer that is open for debate, but Dele's natural gifts most certainly aren't and they will still leave clubs, to this very day, wondering if they can crack the code and get him back firing on all cylinders once again.

The unfortunate reality is that Dele's days of footballing stardom are now long behind him, but talent doesn't simply vanish and he still has the ability — if both his body and his mind are in the right place, of course — to light up the Championship. And that's why the Baggies perhaps should not rubbish the possibility of making a move to bring him back to English shores, although offering a pay-as-you-play deal may be the only way to navigate it while minimising the unavoidable risks.

It's not clear just how ready Dele is, and how much football his body is capable of playing these days, but such a deal would prevent West Brom from forking out presumably high wages to a player with lingering question marks and one who has featured scarcely in recent times.

Of course, the conditional basis of a pay-as-you-play contract may not be quite so appealing to Dele, but he's going to have to make some sacrifices if he intends on a return to playing and, with his fresh Como struggles firmly in mind, this could turn out to be his best option at this stage of his career.