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.”