Dele Alli has confirmed he will be leaving Everton after conceding “things haven’t worked out as we all would have hoped”.
The 28-year-old’s Everton contract expired in July but he continued to train at Finch Farm as part of his rehabilitation from a long-term thigh problem.
Fresh discussions had taken place over a potential one-year contract at Everton, which hinged on Dele first proving his fitness. However, after finishing his individual training programme, he did not get to the stage of completing regular sessions with Sean Dyche’s first-team group.
In a post on social media, Dele thanked the club for their support but said it was time to “turn a new page”.
Dele wrote on Instagram: “As widely published this week, 2025 may set me on a new path with some exciting opportunities. Before any of that happens it’s very important for me to make clear how grateful I am of all the fans, staff and players at Everton FC for the support they have given me.
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“It’s been an incredibly tough journey trying to put the final pieces together to regain match fitness and I cannot thank the Everton staff enough for the hard work they have put into this process. Unfortunately things haven’t worked out as we all would have hoped and I think it’s the right time for me to turn a new page. I want to wish everyone at this amazing club the very best of luck and hopefully we will see each other again soon.”
The Athletic reported on Monday Serie A side Como are open to the former England international training with the club in January. He attended Como’s victory over Roma on Sunday and head coach Cesc Fabregas said he was welcome to train with the club, “but only to help him get some fitness”.
Dele joined Everton from Tottenham Hotspur in January 2022 and made 13 appearances in all competitions for the club. His last outing for Everton came in August 2022 following various injuries, and he has not played a competitive match since February 2023, during a loan spell with Besiktas.
In the summer of 2023, the two-time PFA Young Player of the Year opened up on his mental health struggles and explained he had been to rehab in an effort to deal with his dependence on sleeping pills.
Everton had reached an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur this summer over a revised payment structure for Dele should he have signed a new contract with the club.
(Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images)
