Despite Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson’s previous knowledge of Dele Alli, he has still made the correct choice to opt for Ollie Rathbone ahead of him.
Wrexham were reported to have shown interest in Dele Alli, even after Phil Parkinson had already brought in 14 recruits during the summer transfer window.
Dele, the 29-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur star, has found himself released from Serie A outfit Como, which brought up the potential that Wrexham could swoop in to offer his next challenge.
Previous spells in his career at Como, Besiktas, and Everton have sparked challenges for Dele, who has struggled to cement his place in first-team football, but he has previously shown vast quality in his career for Tottenham Hotspur, but also at MK Dons.
Before Dele was discovered by the Premier League giants, Phil Parkinson witnessed the midfielder as an 18-year-old, and thankfully, the Wrexham boss did not let this game sway his decision.
Phil Parkinson was right to choose Ollie Rathbone ahead of Dele Alli
Phil Parkinson looks likely to reinstate Ollie Rathbone in the Wrexham squad, despite his current injury issues, meaning that the Red Dragons boss will have no more vacancies to add further players.
This has put any potential deal for Wrexham to sign Dele Alli dead in the water, with Parkinson opting against signing the former Tottenham Hotspur star.
While the signing of Dele would have had its benefits, especially on the commercial side for the club, Wrexham boss Parkinson would have no certainties over the ability that he could play at, with him only managing 18 appearances for three separate clubs altogether since the 2022/23 season onwards.
Rathbone, however, was integral to Wrexham’s success in League One, and will likely get back up to speed following his pre-season injury.
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Phil Parkinson could have been swayed by 2015 meeting with Dele Alli
While Dele Alli has struggled to hit the heights in recent years, his time at both MK Dons and the earlier period of his Tottenham Hotspur spell were electric.
During his time at League One side Bradford City, Phil Parkinson faced off against Dele while he was just 18 years old, plying his trade for MK Dons.
In a 2-1 win for Bradford City, Dele gave MK Dons the lead in the early moments, showing his quality at such a young age.
Dele was able to pick up the ball after his teammate latched onto some sloppy play outside the box by Parkinson’s side, before tucking it underneath Bantams shot-stopper Jordan Pickford, England’s current No.1.
Via Sky Sports, MK Dons boss Karl Robinson suggested that ‘Dele had one of his worst games’ despite scoring, which shows the level he was operating at.
Parkinson has never been one to act on impulse, and it feels as though Dele is a completely different player from the one he witnessed at Bradford City, making it the correct call to opt for Ollie Rathbone over him.