Journalist: Wrexham, Birmingham and West Brom Explore Dele Alli Move | OneFootball

Dele Alli facing crossroads with England return a possibility

A career lost in the wilderness

The story of Dele Alli remains one of English football’s most sobering tales. Once the prodigy who dazzled for Tottenham Hotspur, Alli now finds himself without a club, his contract with Como terminated after just 10 minutes of football in Italy. Those minutes ended in a red card against AC Milan’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek, a moment that encapsulated his misfortune. “Ten minutes, one red card,” the Daily Mail reflected, and in many ways, that has become the epitaph of his time in Serie A.

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It has been more than two-and-a-half years since Alli played a full 90 minutes. That reality alone shows how far his star has fallen. Sir Alex Ferguson once likened him to Paul Gascoigne, and he carried the same weight of hype as Jude Bellingham does now. Yet spells at Everton, Besiktas and Como have unravelled into disappointment.

Championship suitors emerge

Despite the gloom, there is interest in his services. According to the Daily Mail, Birmingham City, Wrexham and West Brom are among the clubs exploring a deal. Each offers a different path. Birmingham, with NFL legend Tom Brady part of their ownership structure, are ambitiously reshaping their Championship identity. Wrexham, powered by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, would provide Hollywood’s spotlight, as well as commercial intrigue.

Perhaps the most logical option, though, is West Bromwich Albion. They offer stability, less scrutiny and a coach in Ryan Mason who knows Alli well from their shared Tottenham past. Mason once brought him back from the cold after his exile under José Mourinho. West Brom sit high in the Championship table and could provide the right environment for a revival.

Struggles on and off the pitch

What clouds this discussion is not talent, but fitness and dedication. As the Daily Mail reported, Alli was banished from Como’s first-team training camp to the so-called “bomb squad” by Cesc Fabregas. That raises questions, and without answers, doubt persists.

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Personal battles compound the uncertainty. Alli has endured grief, losing his childhood friend and fellow professional George Baldock, and suffered the breakdown of his relationship with model Cindy Kimberly. His interview with Gary Neville in 2023 revealed harrowing truths: sexual abuse as a child, a chaotic upbringing, and an addiction to sleeping pills. His courage in speaking out was striking, but so too was the fragility it exposed.

Echoes of past brilliance

The contrast with his earlier career is stark. Before the age of 21, Alli had scored 26 Premier League goals and provided 14 assists in 63 appearances, outperforming contemporaries such as Cristiano Ronaldo at that age. His 2016-17 campaign, with 22 goals and 13 assists, was among the finest by an English midfielder of his generation.

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These statistics prove the ability has not vanished. Football is littered with players who rediscovered themselves in unexpected settings. Alli, still only 29, has time to write another chapter. A return to England’s Championship may lack glamour, but it could provide the stage for resilience.

The Daily Mail noted that earlier this summer, there were suggestions of retirement. Perhaps that remains a possibility. Yet Alli himself admitted he has an alarm set daily at 11am that reads: “World Cup 2026.” That hope, however distant, hints at an ember still burning.

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The overwhelming emotion is concern tinged with hope. Concern because the decline has been so stark. A footballer once compared to the very best of England’s past midfielders is now scrambling for relevance, struggling to find a club willing to take the risk. Hope, because the Championship could be the environment where Alli rediscovers his love of the game.

Birmingham City or Wrexham would bring attention and pressure. That might sell tickets and generate headlines, but it may not be the ideal platform for a player who clearly needs stability more than spectacle. West Bromwich Albion, under Ryan Mason, looks the most natural fit. Mason’s understanding of Alli as both a player and a person could be crucial in coaxing the talent that still lurks beneath the surface.

Fans will also remember his honesty in opening up about his past struggles. That honesty earned respect, but it also laid bare how fragile his situation remains. Supporters would welcome his return to English football, not for nostalgia alone, but because his story deserves a better conclusion than 10 minutes and a red card in Italy.

No one expects Alli to be the talisman of old overnight, but if he can rebuild, even modestly, it would stand as a victory for resilience. Football has a habit of granting second chances, and the Championship may yet provide his.