Dele Alli discovers transfer fate as Wrexham make final call with star included in squad

Wrexham have decisively ruled out the prospect of signing a free agent, despite previous links to ex-Tottenham star Dele Alli. Like all Championship teams, the Red Dragons had to submit a squad list to the EFL in September, which included players aged 21 or over.

Manager Phil Parkinson only utilised 24 of the 25 available slots, potentially leaving space for an unattached player. Wrexham, owned by Hollywood heavyweights Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, were subsequently linked with a move for former England international Dele after his contract with Serie A side Como was terminated. The 29-year-old only managed one appearance for the club, led by Cesc Fabregas, after joining them on an 18-month deal in January.

Dele was looking to rejuvenate his career after battling injuries and mental health issues. His debut in March ended disastrously, however, when he was sent off just 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute during a 2-1 defeat to AC Milan.

Wrexham were tipped to offer a lifeline to a player once considered one of the Premier League's top talents. However, it has now been officially confirmed that the final squad place has been awarded to midfielder Ollie Rathbone.

The Manchester United academy graduate was the club's player of the season last term as they secured promotion from League One and recently returned to training after being sidelined with an ankle injury. Parkinson has hinted that he could feature in Wrexham's away match against Stoke City on Saturday, following a boost in his fitness during the international break.

"He's had a great 10 days so he's had a nice block of training now," Parkinson told The Leader. "We had a game arranged and the team we were due to be playing pulled out a couple of days before, which was frustrating, but we were able to have an in-house game last Wednesday.

"Then we've had further 11-v-11s this week as well just to prepare everybody for what is an important period coming up when we start again at Stoke."

Currently, Wrexham sit 18th in the table going into the match after securing 10 points from their initial nine games in the second tier, while Stoke are fifth following a strong start for Mark Robins' squad. Rathbone has been a pivotal player for the Red Dragons since making the switch from Rotherham in August 2024, having risen through the United youth ranks alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford.

In other news, Dele remains clubless and was recently seen training in Bali as he searches for a new team. The midfielder previously set his sights on playing at next year's World Cup with England, but the likelihood of that happening now seems incredibly slim.

Wrexham have been given an additional lift ahead of their match against Stoke, with the return from injury of summer signing Liberato Cacace. The left wing-back was snapped up from Italian club Empoli in July in a deal believed to be worth an initial £2.16million, potentially rising to as much as £4m with add-ons.

The New Zealand international has only managed two league appearances so far due to hamstring problems, but is now fit for selection.