Dele Alli sends poignant Everton message ahead of Cesc Fabregas link-up | OneFootball

Dele Alli says it's been an "incredibly tough journey" trying to get his career back on track after confirming he is cutting ties with Everton.

The 28-year-old's contract at Goodison Park expired in June, but he has continued to train with the club.

The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, who has 37 England caps to his name, has been offered the chance to train with Como by former Premier League winner Cesc Fabregas, having not played a competitive match since February 2023, when he was on loan at Turkish giants Besiktas.

He is expected to link up Como on Boxing Day, with the Telegraph stating that a contract could be signed by mid-January if all goes to plan.

Posting on Instagram, Dele took the opportunity to thank everybody associated with Everton, with it now looking likely that he will take up Fabregas' offer after attending Como's 2-0 win over Roma in Serie A on Sunday.

"As widely published this week, 2025 may set me on a new path with some exciting opportunities," Dele, who has openly discussed in public various traumas from his childhood, wrote. "Before any of that happens, it's very important for me to make clear how grateful I am to all the fans, staff and players at Everton FC for the support they have given me.

"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."

Everton boss Sean Dyche commented on Dele's departure in his pre-match press conference, saying: "The major point that we agreed, as a collective, was to get him back to a good place and I think he is there.

"He's had so much misfortune with injuries, you could not imagine the challenges he has had. We wish him well and that is all we can do. He has been nothing but an ease for me to work with. On to a new challenge but we certainly wish him well."