Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison is facing an uncertain few months after a series of potential transfers collapsed, leaving him unable to play in the Premier League for the first half of the season.
Before the English transfer window closed, the club made clear to the Brazilian that he was not part of the first-team plans for the current campaign. However, a return to former club Everton did not materialise before the September 1 deadline.
After being left out of Tottenham’s 25-man Premier League squad last week, a move to Vasco da Gama also stalled. The Brazilian club, which Richarlison has supported since childhood, had reached an agreement with Tottenham over a fee on Friday, but the player could not agree personal terms, according to PA Media.
With the Brazilian transfer window closing on Saturday, Richarlison is expected to remain at Tottenham for the first half of the season, despite being ineligible for Premier League matches.
Manager’s Comments
Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi started Richarlison in the team’s opening league match against Brentford on August 22. But on Friday, De Zerbi said the 29-year-old “made all the decisions by himself” after his omission from the squad, without explaining what he meant.
When asked about the latest on Richarlison in his press conference on Friday, De Zerbi said: “I don’t know. It’s not my job. What I can say is that I know very well what the club did for Richarlison, and I know very well what Richarlison did for the club in the last month and the last two months.”
He added: “I know, the club knows, he knows, his agent knows. Everyone knows better than you (the media).”
Limited Options
After the transfer windows in Turkey and Saudi Arabia closed on Friday and Sunday respectively, one of the few remaining opportunities for Richarlison was a permanent return to Brazil, especially as Tottenham had already used their quota of six loans for players from outside England.
Reports suggest Richarlison explored the possibility of terminating the final nine months of his contract with Tottenham this week.